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Prepared  by  a  Special  Committee 
of  the 

Madison  Board  of  Commerce 


Copyrighted,  1915, 

by  the 

Madison  Board  of  Commerce, 

Madison,  Wis. 


TRACY     &     KILGORE,     PRINTERS 
MADISON.     WIS. 


REPRESENTATIVE  COMMITTEE 

Organized  by  the  Madison  Board  of  Commerce  at  the  request  of  its  Committee 
on  Health,  Recreation  and  Charities  to  Approve,  Support  and  Determine  the 
Nature  and  Scope  of  the  Survey 

Chairman — C.  W.  Hetherington. 

Professors— E.  A.  Ross,  J.  L.  Gillin,  W.  H.  Dudley,  G.  W.  Ehler. 
Churchmen— Rev.  F.  A.  Gilmore,  Rev.  A.  A.  Ewing,  Rev.  P.  B.  Knox,  Rev. 
O.  G.  Siljan. 

Public  School  Interests — Thos.  Lloyd  Jones,  Carl  Tenney. 

Associated  Charities — Rev.  Geo.  E.  Hunt. 

Humane  Society — Prof.  L.  B.  Wolfenson. 

Truant  Officer— Miss  Martha  Riley. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.— Frank  H.  West. 

Trades  Unions — Charles  Burghardt. 

The  Woman's  Club— Mrs.  John  Aylward. 

The  Woman's  Civics  Club— Mrs.  W.  G.  Bleyer. 

Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association — E.  N.  Warner. 

Board  of  Police  Commissioners — Jabe  Alford. 

Press — Mrs.  Richard  Lloyd  Jones,  Mrs.  O.  D.  Brandenburg. 

Olympic  Club — C.  H.  Powell,  Wm.  Carey. 

Madison  Medical  Society — Dr.  A.  G.  Sullivan. 

Madison  Garden  Association — L.  L.  Oeland. 

Volunteers  of  America — Capt.  Morgan  Griffiths. 

Art  Association — Wm.  H.  Varnum. 

At  Large — Mrs.  Joseph  Jastrow,  Mrs.  Joseph  Hobbins,  Victor  H.  Arnold. 


324154 


in 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 

To  the  Committee  on  Health,  Recreation  and  Charities,  Madison  Board  of  Com- 
merce, Madison,  Wis. 

Gentlemen: 

We  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  Madison  Play  and  Recreation 
Survey,  conducted  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Representative  Committee 
appointed  by  the  Board  of  Commerce  for  the  organization  of  this  survey.  Inas- 
much as  the  survey  covers  the  whole  scope  of  play  and  recreation  and  was  entered 
upon  with  thoroughness  in  order  that  it  might  serve  as  a  real  guide  in  constructive 
civic  effort,  and  inasmuch  as  most  of  the  preliminary  work  has  been  done  by  the 
voluntary  help  of  persons  already  burdened  with  many  duties,  it  has  taken  longer 
to  complete  it  than  was  originally  expected.  The  Committee  feels,  however,  that 
the  results  are  worth  the  effort  and  cost. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

Executive  Committee  Conducting  the  Survey. 

Clark  W.  Hetherington,  Chairman. 

Mrs.  Joseph  Jastrow. 

Mrs.  Joseph  W.  Hobbins. 

Martha  Riley. 

J.  L.  Gillin. 

W.  H.  Varnum,  succeeded  by 

Frank  H.  West. 
Thomas  Lloyd  Jones,  succeeded  by 

Victor  H.  Arnold. 
H.  J.  Reber         £        Committee 
June,  1915.  David  E.  Berg  )        Secretaries. 


IV 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Page 
Lists  of  representatives  and  executive  committees )» 

•        i  IV 

Letter  of  transmittal .   

List  of  illustrations,  tables,  and  charts • vm 

Foreword 

Introduction 

Nature  of  Recreational  Problem 1 

Economic  Value  of  Recreational  Facilities l 

Purpose  of  Survey 

Point  of  View 

Organization ^ 

CHAPTER  I. 
Map  Surveys 


Purpose 


S 


Distribution  of  Population  by  Wards 

Buildings  and  Open  Spaces 

Comparison  of  Child  Population  and  Space 

Conclusions 


5 
6 

8 


CHAPTER  II. 

Promotional  Organizations 

City  Garden  Association IO 

Madison  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association 12 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  City  Government 

Public  Parks .  .  .■ l6 

Conclusions — Parks 2° 

Play  Fields 2I 

Park  Playgrounds ll 

The  Zoo 

Bath  Houses 23 

Boat  Houses 23 


vi  Contents 

Band  Concerts 24 

Refectories   24 

A  Municipal  Natatorium 24 

A  Municipal  Gymnasium 24 

The  Free  Library 25 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Public  Schools 

As  a  Recreational  Center 27 

Special  Districts 27 

School  Playgrounds 28 

Summer  Use  of  Playgrounds 30 

School  Grounds  and  Street  Traffic 31 

School  Gymnasiums 33 

Evening  Use  of  Schoolhouses .' 34 

Summary  of  Schools 36 

CHAPTER  V. 

Private,  Philanthropic  and  Social  Organizations 

Scope,  Purpose  and  Method 42 

Social  and   Recreational  Clubs 43 

Churches 44 

Fraternal  and  Insurance 47 

Labor  Unions 48 

Literary,  Musical,  Patriotic,  etc 49 

Philanthropic 50 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Commercial  Recreation 

Motion  Pictures 52 

Theatres , 59 

Vaudeville 59 

Dance  Halls 59 

Across-the-lake  Dances 62 

Roller  Skating  Rinks 62 

Boat  Liveries 62 

Billiard  and  Pool  Halls 62 

Bowling  Alleys 63 

Loafing  Places 64 

Candy  and  Ice  Cream  Parlors 66 

Saloons 66 


1 


Contents  vii 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Natural  Outdoor  Facilities 

Use  of  the  Lakes 68 

Safety  of  Lakes 7° 

Fields  and  Woods 71 

Winter  Sports 71 

* 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Home  Work  and  Play  of  Children 

Purpose  and  Method  of  Survey 74 

Outdoor  Recreation 75 

Indoor  Recreation 77 

Amusements 78 

Personal  Activities.  .  . .' 79 

Home  Work 80 

Earning  Activities 80 

Religious  Activities 80 

Work  and  Play  Influences 81 

Grade  and  School  Comparisons 82 

Conclusions 82 

School,  Church  and  Family  Opportunities 86 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Social  and  Educational  Conditions  of  Play 

Community  Conditions  and  Conduct  (Dr.  William  Healy) 88 

Results  of  Neglect  of  Play 91 

Results  of  Neglect  of  Play  and   Recreation 92 

Juvenile  Delinquency 93 

Recreation  in  Madison  (Dr.  J.  L.  Gillin) 94 

CHAPTER  X. 

General  Conclusions 

Facilities  for  Play  and  Recreation 97 

Needs  by  Groups  of  People 98 

Agencies 100 

Committee  Proposed 102 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS,  TABLES  AND  MAPS 

Illustrations  Page 

Interior  of  City  Block 6 

Drawing  of  Improved  City   Block 7 

Arrangement  of  Residence  Lot 9 

Work  of  City  Garden  Association 11 

Children's  Day,  Henry  Vilas  Park 17 

Railway  Parkway 19 

Typical  Block,  Forest  Hills  Gardens 20 

At  Tenney  Park 21 

Vilas  Park  Zoo 22 

Doty  School  Showing  Playground 32 

Washington  School  Playground 33 

At  Monona  Park 68 

Ice  Boating 69 

Class  Rush 70 

Toboggan  Slide 72 

Play  Facilities 76 

A  Crowded   Quarter 89 

Conditions  that  Could  be  Remedied 94 

Environment  to  be  Eliminated    95 

Tables  and  Charts. 

Table  1 — City's  population  by  wards 5 

Table  2 — Special  districts,  illustrating  notable  conditions 27 

Table  3- — Evening  use  of  schools 35 

Chart  1 — School  districts  and  the  school  as  a  district  center 27 

Chart  2 — School  playgrounds,  size  and  equipment 29 

Chart  3 — School  playgrounds,  use  and  supervision 30 

Chart  4 — Summer  use  of  playgrounds 30 

Chart  5 — School  gymnasiums 33 

Chart  6 — Use  of  high  school  gymnasium 33 

Maps. 

Map  1 — Distribution  of  children  between  the  ages  of  4-10  inclusive 8 

Map  2 — Distribution  of  buildings  and  open  spaces 8 

Map  3 — Areas  of  the  city  more  than  a  half  mile  from  any  park 18 


vin 


FOREWORD 

It  is  conceded  by  modern  city  planners  and  community  builders  that  the 
city  of  greatest  material  growth  in  the  future  will  be  that  city  which  gets  the 
largest  number  of  people  to  acknowledge  the  superior  quality  of  its  human 
background. 

It  was  in  response  to  this  fundamental  principle  of  urban  and  community 
development  that  an  inventory  of  the  positive  and  negative  factors  of  recrea- 
tion in  Madison — "the  four  lake  city" — was  undertaken  by  this  Board.  A  con- 
siderable outlay  of  time  and  money  has  been  expended  in  this  study.  Time 
was  freely  given  by  a  large  number  of  men  and  women.  Without  the  co-operation 
of  these  men  and  women  this  study  could  not  have  been  made  even  if  five  times 
the  financial  outlay  were  expended. 

Adequate  play  and  recreational  facilities  have  too  important  a  future  eco- 
nomic value  for  a  community  to  inventory  the  present  worth  of  a  study  such  as 
this  from  the  standpoint  of  financial  outlay  alone.  Then,  too,  a  large  proportion 
of  crime  and  misery  is  found  to  have  its  inception  in  negative  recreational  facili- 
ties. Ample  provisions  for  recreation  are  often  so  deciding  a  factor  in  the 
locating  of  a  home  or  industry,  or  in  attracting  to  a  city  a  convention  or  a  tourist 
party,  that  their  importance  in  any  movement  for  community  promotion  cannot 
be  over  estimated. 

If  more  efficient  recreational  opportunities  can  secure  for  the  rising  gen- 
eration a  lower  average  of  crime  and  vice  and  if,  in  addition,  it  is  good  business 
for  a  city  to  capitalize  its  recreational  assets,  then  this  study  of  recreation  in 
Madison-  ''the  four  lake  city"  —  Wisconsin  will  have  more  than  fulfilled  its 
purpose. 

DIRECTORS  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

By  E.  M.  McMAHON.  Secretary. 
October  1.   1915 


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INTRODUCTION 

THE  NATURE  OF  MADISON'S  RECREATIONAL  PROBLEM 

Madison's  Natural  Advantages.  Surrounded  as  Madison  is  by  four  beautiful 
lakes,  and  possessing  considerable  park  areas  and  many  driveways,  it  offers  unri- 
valed opportunities  for  all  sorts  of  outdoor  sports  and  recreation.  All  that  is  neces- 
sary to  enable  people  to  take  advantage  of  these  resources  is  a  certain  amount 
of  planning  and  some  outlay  to  furnish  certain  necessary  facilities.  For  example,, 
to  utilize  the  lake,  bath-houses,  boat-houses,  boat  rentals,  skating  rinks  are 
necessary  and  should  be  provided. 

Congestion  and  Need  for  Play  Space.  Despite  these  natural  advantages", 
Madison  has  been  developing  certain  tendencies  which  characterize  all  American 
cities,  bad  housing,  congested  population,  lack  of  play  space  in  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  homes,  dangerous  traffic  streets  and  railroad  tracks  where  children  are  forced 
to  play.  To.remedy  this-evil  is  one  of  the  large  tasks  of  the  people  of  Madison.  Space 
for  healthful  play  and  exercise  should  be  provided  for  both  young  and  old,  play- 
grounds for  small  children,  playfields  where  youths  and  boys  can  play  baseball, 
basket  ball,  and  football  and  tennis.  Parks  and  resting  places  for  mothers  and 
older  people  should  be  available. 

Indoor  Sports  and  Games.  For  the  wintertime  and  for  bad  weather  when  out 
door  facilities  are  not  available,  other  provisions  are  necessary.  Gymnasiums, 
natatoriums,  social  clubs,  play  rooms  and  reading  rooms  must  be  available.  Schools 
should  be  open  for  evening  use  under  the  direction  of  a  skilled  community  secretary. 
Schools,  the  library,  churches,  fraternal  organizations,  all  should  work  together  to 
furnish  the  facilities  for  indoor  play  and  recreation. 

Precautionary  Plans  and  Measures.  It  is  to  check  evil  tendencies,  to  head  off 
what  might  become  unsolvable  problems,  to  arouse  interest  and  obtain  action  on  one 
of  the  most  vital  of  modern  problems  that  this  recreational  survey  was  made.  The 
movement  for  healthful  play  and  recreation  abounds  in  great  possibilities  for  the 
regeneration  and  saving  of  modern  society.  Madison  should  do  its  part  for  its  own 
citizens  by  promoting  proper  play  and  recreation. 

THE  ECONOMIC  VALUE  OF  HEALTHFUL  AND  ADEQUATE 
RECREATIONAL  FACILITIES 

Society's  Burden  of  Crime  and  Vice.  Adequate  and  healthful  play  and  recre- 
ational facilities  are  seen  to  be  positive  economic  assets  to  any  community  when  one 
considers  the  cases  of  the  large  cities  like  New  York,  Chicago,  etc.,  where  commer- 
cialized recreation  is  often  the  preliminary  step  to  vice  and  crime.  One  should 
also  consider  the  enormous  amounts  of  money  spent  on  police  protection,  the  loss 
of  property,  the  cost  of  courts,  the  costs  of  jails  and  other  corrective  institutions. 


2  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

One  realizes  how  intimately  the  misuse  of  leisure  time  is  associated  with  the  faults 
and  failures  of  society  as  a  whole.  Moreover,  when  one  realizes  that  a  large  pro- 
portion of  this  crime  and  misery  had  its  beginning  in  lack  of  proper  play  and  recrea- 
tion, one  can  easily  appreciate  the  great  economic  burden  that  vice  and  crime 
puts  on  the  shoulders  of  society  and  workers.  Any  scheme  that  provides  facilities 
for  healthful  play  and  recreation,  substitutes  constructive  for  destructive  interests, 
certainly  deserves  the  support  of  the  public.  Reduction  of  crime  and  vice  will 
mean  the  reduction  of  the  number  of  non-producers  and  a  corresponding  increase 
in  society's  producers.  This  would  tend  toward  a  reduction  in  taxes.  What  ap- 
plies to  larger  cities  applies,  as  well,  although  to  a  lesser  degree,  to  all  cities. 

Good  Recreation  Means  Good  Health.  But  proper  recreation  is  not  only  a 
preventive  influence;  it  is  a  positive  and  constructive  asset  to  all  citizens,  of  one's 
•own  health  and  that  of  his  wife  and  children.  Money  cannot  buy  health  and 
happiness  directly,  but  can  only  furnish  the  means  and  provide  favorable  condi- 
tions for  them.     One  of  these  favorable  conditions  is  proper  recreational  facilities. 

Attracts  Prospective  Industries  and  Citizens.  Again,  ample  recreational  and 
play  facilities  are  an  economic  asset  to  any  city.  Strangers  are  attracted  to  beautiful 
-cities  affording  such  facilities,  and  this  is  very  often  a  deciding  influence  in  the 
■choice  of  a  home.  Industries  as  well  as  home-dwellers  appreciate  the  value  of  such 
advantages  and  wish  to  be  located  in  a  city  possessing  them.  Beautiful  and  health- 
ful recreational  facilities,  whether  natural  or  artificial,  are  a  commercial  asset. 

Increases  Working  Power  of  Employees.  From  the  commercial  and  industrial 
viewpoint,  proper  recreation  possesses  additional  merit.  Supplanting  vitiating, 
■enervating  activities  by  healthful  upbuilding  activities  is  certainly  to  the  advantage 
of  the  employer  of  labor  as  well  as  to  the  workers  themselves.  A  man  or  woman  who 
has  spent  an  hour  or  two  on  healthful  gymnastic  exercise  or  outdoor  sport  the  evening 
before  will  assuredly  do  better  work  than  one  who  has  wasted  the  evening  or  worse 
than  wasted  it.  A  proper  use  of  leisure  time  is  an  economic  asset  to  both  employer 
and  employee. 

Value  of  a  Recreation  Committee.  A  recreation  committee  directing  and 
-co-ordinating  the  efforts  of  all  the  various  agencies  of  the  city  engaged  in  furnishing 
recreation  would  enable  these  agencies  to  prevent  duplication  of  work  and  useless 
expenditure  of  money.  It  would  co-ordinate  the  efforts  of  the  public  school  with 
those  of  other  city  agencies  and  thus  prevent  unnecessary  duplication.  Again, 
such  a  committee  could  push  plans  to  utilize  inexpensive  natural  resources,  thus 
saving  the  money  of  the  city  government  and  that  of  its  citizens  as  well.  The  most 
•expensive  facilities  for  play  are  not  always  the  most  attractive  or  healthful;  the 
natural  resources  are  very  often  the  most  valuable  and  attractive. 

Developing  Back  Yards  and  Gardens.  A  campaign  to  clean  up  the  back  yards 
and  provide  play  space  for  children  will  lessen  the  burden  of  the  schools  and  city  in 
providing  play  space,  and  will  save  the  parents  time,  worry  and  money.  Develop- 
ment of  gardens  for  children  and  adults  will  bring  about  a  happy  combination  of 
play  and  recreation,  with  an  interest  in  growing  things,  will  furnish  fresh  vegetables 
for  the  table,  and  decrease  the  family  expenses. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  3 

Early  Investment  Means  Saving.  Experience  in  other  cities,  especially  in  the 
large  cities,  has  shown  that  sooner  or  later  the  problem  of  providing  play  space  and 
healthful  recreational  facilities  is  as  inevitable  as  providing  police  or  fire  protection. 
New  York  is  tearing  down  valuable  buildings  to  provide  play  space  for  the  children. 
Chicago  is  paying  immense  sums  of  money  for  park  and  play  space  that  a  few  years 
ago  could  have  been  bought  for  a  fraction  of  the  price.  As  Madison  grows,  the 
same  urgent  problem  arises.  Congestion  of  population,  the  increase  of  building 
area  and  the  decrease  in  space  will  force  the  issue.  If  Madison  will  purchase  land 
now,  while  comparatively  cheap,  and  set  this  aside  for  play  space  and  recreation  in- 
stead of  paying  exorbitant  prices  later,  it  will  be  money  ahead  in  the  end. 

PURPOSE 

The  purpose  of  this  Play  and  Recreation  Survey  is  to  reveal  the  facts  concerning 
play  and  recreation  in  Madison  and  make  recommendations  for  improvement  where 
it  is  considered  advisable,  or  specifically: 

(1)  To  determine  what  the  recreational  needi  or  demands  of  the  population  of 
Madison  are  as  indicated  by  their  activities  and  efforts. 

(2)  To  discover  what  facilities  there  are  to  meet  these  needs  by  a  survey  of  the 
city  and  its  environment,  and  by  a  study  of  the  various  agencies  that  supply  recre- 
ation. 

(3)  To  indicate  the  social,  educational  and  economic  influences  of  the  various 
recreational  activities  as  they  exist. 

(4)  To  show  where  the  facilities  of  the  better  class  that  exist  might  be  more 
effectively  used  and  where  other  facilities,  organizations  and  effort  are  needed. 

(5)  To  make  recommendations  concerning  needs,  facilities,  influences,  organi- 
zations and  effort,  and  propose  a  plan  for  constructive  civic  effort  that  will  make  the 
play  and  recreation  life  of  this  city  wholesome  and  progressively  better. 

The  facts  portraying  and  underlying  these  several  purposes  will  give  to  citizens 
the  basis  for  an  intelligent  consideration  of  the  play  and  recreation  problems  of 
Madison.  It  is  just  as  important  to  find  out  what  the  city  does  not  need  as  what  it 
does  need.  Without  these  facts  and  conclusions  presented  as  a  whole,  citizens  can 
know  little  relatively  about  the  good  or  bad  influences  of  the  various  recreational 
activities  actually  in  progress,  and  all  effort  toward  the  improvement  or  better 
organization  of  recreation  will  be  haphazard  and  without  co-ordination  to  an  end. 

POINT  OF  VIEW 

It  is  essential  in  considering  the  problems  presented  in  this  survey  to  understand 
the  special  significance  of  the  child's  and  youth's  play  as  contrasted  with  adult 
recreation.  Play  as  it  should  be  understood  comprises  practically  every  important 
activity  of  the  young  child,  and  this  is  true,  to  a  less  extent,  of  the  youth.  Play  of 
childhood  not  only  influences  the  leisure  time  habits  of  later  life,  but  the  play  itself 
is   a   profound   character-making   influence. 

Play  is  the  child's  business  in  life;  adult  recreation  is  generally  a  matter  of 


4  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

spending  so-called  leisure  hours.  But  although  probably  less  important  than  the 
child's  play,  the  method  of  spending  leisure  time  has  of  course  a  very  material 
influence  upon  life.  A  recognition  of  this  fact  is  seen  in  the  provisions  many  indus- 
trial enterprises  make  for  recreation  of  employees. 

ORGANIZATION 

The  Play  and  Recreational  Survey  of  Madison  was  initiated  by  the  Committee 
on  Health,  Recreation  and  Charities  in  March,  1914. 

As  such  a  survey  touches  every  phase  of  community  life,  a  large  sub-committee 
representative  of  all  the  organized  social  interests  in  the  city  was  formed  and  asked 
to  consider,  approve  and  agree  to  support  the  proposed  survey. 

This  committee  had  four  meetings,  discussed  plans  for  the  survey  as  to 
its  need,  the  value  of  the  several  items  suggested  and  its  relations  to  a  general  city 
survey,  then  turned  over  the  execution  of  the  plans  formulated  to  a  small  working 
executive  committee. 


CHAPTER  I 
MAP  SURVEYS 

Purpose. 

This  section  of  the  report  presents  graphically  and  in  statistical  tables 
(i)  the  distribution  of  the  population  of  the  city,  (2)  the  distribution  of  build- 
ings and  open  spaces,  (3)  the  distribution  of  recreational  facilities,  especially  com- 
mercial recreation. 

These  maps  and  tables  give  material  for  conclusions  concerning  (1)  the  present- 
day  recreational  problems  of  sections  of  the  city  in  relation  to  available  space,  and 
(2)  the  building  tendencies  of  the  city  in  relation  to  future  congestion  of  population 
and  recreational  facilities.  They  give  also  the  background  for  consideration  of 
problems  in  distribution  of  population  and  facilities  treated  in  other  sections  of  this 
report. 

Distribution  of  Population  by  Wards 

Table  1  gives  the  population  of  each  ward,  the  distribution  per  acre,  and 
information  concerning  the  number  of  children  in  each  ward  by  age  periods.  Com- 
pare with  table  giving  the  same  data  by  school  districts. 

Map  1  shows  graphically  the  distribution  of  child  population  according  to  the 
school  census.     Each  dot   represents  a  child. 

The  triangle 4-1 1  years  of  age  inclusive. 

The  square 12-14  years  of  age  inclusive. 

The  circle I5_I9  years  of  age  inclusive. 

The  school  census  is  taken  in  June  when  many  families  are  out  of  the  city- 
The  census  is  therefore  inaccurate,  especially  in  certain  distiicts,  but  not  so  much 
so  as  to  destroy  the  significance  of  the  map. 

Buildings  and  Open  Spaces 

Map  2  shows  to  scale  all  buildings  within  the  parts  of  the  city  surveyed. 
There  will  be  noted  a  decided  influence  upon  building  conditions  due  to  the  location 
of  the  central  part  of  the  city  between  the  lakes.  Some  serious  city  planning  needs 
indirectly  connected  with  this  survey  will  not  be  considered  here. 

From  the  purely  play  and  recreational  standpoint,  the  distribution  of  space 
about  the  majority  of  homes  cannot  be  severely  criticised,  though  much  of  this 
.  space  is  not  now  available  as  is  pcinted  out  below. 


6  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

Certain  sections,  however,  are  already  congested.  We  do  not  refer  to  the 
business  sections  of  the  city  so  much  as  the  sections  where  too  great  subdivision  of 
the  lots  has  taken  place  and  where  residential  alleys  are  developing.  These  sec- 
tions show  the  effect  of  poor  planning  combined  with  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the 
owners  to  secure  greater  rent  for  each  foot  of  land.  They  are,  therefore,  noticeable 
in  the  Latin  Quarter,  especially  where  the  rooming  houses  are  smaller  and  their 
inhabitants  only  moderately  well-to-do.  In  the  rooming  house  districts  nearer  the 
center  of  the  city  the  absence  of  alleys  has  checked  the  tendency  to  subdivide. 
Subdivision  is  seen  in  purely  residential  districts  of  the  sixth  ward. 

It  seems  quite  certain  that  the  serious  results  of  overcrowding  will  be  felt  in 
this  city  as  it  has  been  in  any  number  of  others  if  regulations  are  not  adopted  to 


A  Little  Planning  Would  Make  this  Interior  Block 
Useful  for  Recreation  Purposes. 

check  present  tendencies.  Our  death  rate  is  now  approximately  two  and  a  half 
times  as  great  as  that  of  Bourneville,  England,  a  typical  garden  city;  and  our  death 
rate  will  tend  to  increase  as  our  city  becomes  less  like  the  garden  cities. 

Comparisons  of  Child  Population  and  Space 

A  comparison  of  the  child  population  (Map  i)  with  the  distribution  of  space 
(Map  2)  reveals  some  important  facts  and  problems  with  reference  to  the  play  of 
children  especially. 

The  present  study  must  restrict  its  attention  largely  to  the  more  important 
conditions  and  tendencies.  We  have  described  in  Table  2  five  districts  illustrating 
these. 

Map  2  shows  a  remarkable  uniformity  in  the  matter  of  location  of  dwellings: 
upon  the  lots  throughout  the  city.     It  will  be  seen  that  the  widely  accepted  prin- 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  7 

ciple  is  that  of  placing  the  house  very  near  the  street,  leaving  only  a  small  front 
yard.  The  deep  city  lots  (132  feet)  consequently  afford  each  home  a  large  back 
yard.  Block  after  block  is  framed  by  dwellings  and  has  an  open  interior  except 
where  stables  and  sheds  or  moved-back  houses  are  to  be  found.  For  example,  note 
the  arrangement  in  the  fourth  and  eighth  wards.  The  open  space  is  in  the  back 
yards. 

In  much  of  the  fifth  ward,  in  the  eighth  ward  generally,  in  the  part  of  the  second 
ward  designated  by  the  table,  near  the  railway  lines  in  the  sixth  ward,  in  the  north 
quarter  of  the  ninth  ward,  it  will  be  seen  that  areas  of  the  city  having  plenty  of  open 
space  do  not  have  much  available  space.  The  space  is  largely  occupied  by  chicken 
coops,  chicken  yards,  outhouses,  sheds,  fences,  clothes  lines,  trash  heaps  and  even 


Wash  Drawing  Illustrating  How  Interior  City  Blocks  May  Be  Made  Useful  as  Well  as  Beautiful . 


garbage  piles  in  some  cases.     Gardens  and  lawns  are  not  unknown  in  any  section,, 
but  they  are  by  hundreds  of  residents  entirely  neglected. 

The  larger  part  of  the  possible  lawn  area  not  now  available  is  not  being  em- 
ployed in  any  useful  manner.  It  is  being  wasted  outright.  But  even  if  the  space 
is  conserved  and  this  sort  of  waste  eliminated,  the  result  is  the  same — lack  of  much, 
needed  garden  and  lawn  and  the  evils  resulting  therefrom — virtual  congestion. 

When  such  short-sighted  economy  and  lack  of  foresight  is  characteristic  of  a- 
considerable  section  of  the  city,  the  result  is  especially  bad.  The  figures  for  the 
density  of  population  do  not  show  this  variety  of  congestion.  It  means  a  lack  of 
play  space  for  games  of  the  community's  children  except  in  the  streets  or  elsewhere, 
equally  undesirable.     It  means  also  that  play  of  the  best  kind  is  discouraged. 

Nor  are  the  bad  conditions  in  these  districts  generally  relieved  by  entirely- 
vacant  lots.     These  are  very  rare  in  the  central  portions  of  the  city. 

School  playgrounds  are  available  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  everywhere, 
but  they  are  too  far  from  most  of  the  homes  to  solve  this  problem  and  never  can 
take  the  place  of  private  space. 


s* 


Map  No.  1.    Distribution  of  Child  Population 

Key:  Triangle,  4-11  years  of  age  inclusive 
Square,  12-14  years  of  age  inclusive 
Circle,   15-19  years  of  age  inclusive 


Map  No.  2.    All  Buildings  within  the  Parts  of  City  Surveyed. 


All  Buildings 


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CHAPTER  II 
PROMOTING  ORGANIZATIONS 

No  organizations  definitely  working  solely  or  principally  to  promote  recreation 
are  found  in  Madison  except  two,  each  devoting  its  efforts  to  specific  fields.  These 
are  (i)  the  City  Garden  Association  and  (2)  the  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Associa- 
tion. Both  of  these  "organizations  have  public  funds  at  their  disposal,  i.  e.,  have 
certain  public  administrative  functions. 

THE  CITY  GARDEN  ASSOCIATION 

The  City  Garden  Association  was  first  organized  through  the  efforts  of  the  edu- 
cational department  of  the  Woman's  Club,  in  191 2. 

It  has  been  from  the  first  a  voluntary  organization  of  persons  inter- 
Organization     ested  in  the  garden  movement.     It  is  now  controlled  by  eight  direc- 
tors elected  annually  by  the  members,  and  who  in  turn  elect  the 
officers,   president,   secretary   and   treasurer,   from   among  their   number.      These 
three  officers  constitute  the  executive  committee. 

During  its  first  two  years,  the  Association  was  supported  entirely  by  its 
Support  membership  fee  of  $1.00  and  by  individual  contributions.  In  1914,  $200 
•  was  received  from  contributions  and  membership,  and  in  addition  $500 
was  appropriated  by  the  Board  of  Education  for  carrying  on  the  school  garden  work. 
The  same  amount  has  been  appropriated  for  191 5.  In  1913  and  1914,  the  school 
garden  work  received  $100  and  $120  in  savings  accounts  from  the  Savings  Loan  and 
Trust  Company  to  be  awarded  as  prizes  for  the  best  gardens.  The  same  company 
gives  $120  this  year. 

The  land  used  by  the  Association  is  supplied  by  holders  of  vacant  lots  in 
Land    various  parts  of  the  city. 

Two  directions  of  activity  are  to  be  noted:  (i)  that  of  supplying  "family 
gardens,"  or  gardens  for  adults,  and  (2)  that  of  organizing  school  gardens. 

The  phase  of  the  work  having  to  do  with  the  securing  of  land  for  adults 
Family  and  aiding  them  in  gardening  has  not  as  yet  been  developed  extensively. 
Gardens     but  steps  are  luing  taken  toward  increasing  activity  in  this  direction  for 

the  coming  year.  The  Association  undertakes  to  supply  prepared  land 
and,  when  necessary  and  possible,  instruction  and  supervision. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


1 1 


In  1914,  165  school  children  had  gardens.     Prepared  land,  seeds  and  ex- 
School        pert    instruction   were   supplied    by   the   Association.     Prizes   included 
Gardens     various  awards  for  meritorious  gardening  and  four  for  the  best  note- 
books.    The  rivalry  between  various  garden  groups  of  the  city  afforded 
an  extra  impetus  toward  successful  work. 

The  schools  are  this  year  introducing  work  in  English  calculated  to  prepare  the 
pupils  for  garden  work.  From  the  first  the  teachers  have  been  active  in  encour- 
aging an  interest  in  gardening  and  have  distributed  application  blanks  which,  when 


1 


Work  of  the  Madison  Garden  Association. 


countersigned  by  the  parent,  entitled  the  child  to  a  garden.  Late  applicants  are 
placed  on  waiting  lists,  and  from  these  lists  children  are  found  to  take  up  abandoned 
gardens  if  there  be  any. 


Value  of 
Work 


Added  to  the  benefits  of  fresh  air  and  healthful  exercise,  there  are  other 
benefits  in  gardening  of  special  significance  to  the  young  gardeners. 
Children  are  trained  in  directions  useful  and  productive;  many  take  pride 
in  contributing  to  the  support  of  their  families,  and  all  learn  practical  lessons  in 
economics,  ethics,  science  and  discipline  without  realizing  it.  The  good  work  of  the 
Garden  Association  need  not  be  judged  alone  by  the  positive  benefits  of  this  kind. 
Said  a  business  man  in  one  section  of  the  city:     "Nothing  has  ever  been  done  here 


12  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

that  so  raised  the  standard  of  the  boys  as  the  school  garden."  It  is  not  the  hours  of 
gardening  alone  which  are  so  beneficial,  but  the  widening  of  interests  means  a  lasting 
influence,  an  increased  attention  to  nature,  to  methods  of  cultivation,  and  to  the  pos- 
sibilities of  succeeding  by  means  of  technical  training  and  painstaking  effort.  It  is 
the  wish  of  the  Garden  Association  to  see  the  school  garden  work  become  a  regular 
part  of  the  school  curriculum  and  be  organized  under  the  Board  of  Education's 
control  and  support. 


THE  MADISON  PARK  AND  PLEASURE  DRIVE  ASSOCIATION 

In  January,  1892,  a  citizens'  committee*  was  designated  to  secure  sub- 
History  scriptions  and  to  disburse  moneys  for  the  construction  of  the  Bay  Road 
of  the  leading  across  the  soft  marsh  from  the  university  grounds  to  the 
Association    Stevens  farm,  connecting  the  University  drive  with  the  Raymer  drive, 

which  Mr.  George  Raymer  had  graded  and  opened  near  the  lake  on  his 
farm  (now  a  part  of  the  University  grounds).  The  committee  served  until  July  10, 
1894,  and  collected  and  disbursed  $7,000  in  the  building  of  the  Bay  road  and  of  the 
Rustic  Bridge  beyond  the  Raymer  farm  and  in  opening  up  and  grading  some  three 
miles  of  drive  along  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Mendota. 

While  this  work  was  in  progress,  Prof.  Edward  T.  Owen,  of  the  State  Uni- 
Owen  versity,  purchased  a  strip  of  land  along  and  over  a  commanding  height  a 
Drive      mile  or  so  south  of  Lake  Mendota,  and  laid  out  a  driveway  through  it. 

This  driveway  and  the  park  lands  adjacent  to  it  were  conveyed  to  the 
MadisonPark  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association  for  the  benefit  of  the  public.  It  is  now 
known  as  Owen  Parkway  and  consists  of  about  twelve  acres  of  land.  It  extends  from 
the  cemetery  westward  and  southward,  a  distance  of  about  one  and  one-half 
miles.  This  was  the  first  individual  gift  for  park  purposes. 


** 


In  1894  the  Madison  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association  was  organized 
Incor-  and  incorporated  to  care  for  and  extend  the  driveway  system  and  to 

poration      secure  parks  for  the  city.     It  was  a  corporation  without  capital  stock  and 

its  members  consisted  of  those  paying  twenty-five  dollars  annually. 
The  first  three  years  the  contributions  to  the  Association  averaged  a  little  more  than 
a  thousand  dollars.  In  1897  the  Farwell  Drive  was  undertaken,  and  $10,000  sub- 
scribed. Since  that  time  the  collections  from  smaller  contributions  have  varied 
from  $2,100  in  1898  to  over  #4,500  in  191 3. 


*Consisting  of  John  M.  Olin,  Chairman,  Prof.  C.  S.  Slichter,  Carl  Hausmann,  John  L. 
Erdall,  L.  S.  Hanks,  C.  F.  Cooley,  M.  R.  Doyon,  John  A.  Aylward,  M.  S  Klauber,  H.  J. 
Veerhusen  and  A.  L.  Sanborn.  Mr.  J.  J.  Suhr  now  deceased,  acted  as  treasurer  of  this 
■committee. 

**This  ground  was  purchased  by  Professor  Owen  for  $3,000. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


13 


But  the  holdings  of  the  Association  had  become  so  great  that  a  different 
The  Act  sort  of  corporation  with  broader  powers  was  seen  to  be  necessary,  and  so 
of  1899       in  1899,  Chapter  55  of  the  Laws  of  that  year  was  enacted  and  under  it  the 

present  organization  was  perfected.  It  permits  the  Association  to  ac- 
quire and  hold  lands  inside  or  outside  of  the  city,  in  trust  for  the  city,  and  gives  it 
important  powers  and  privileges.  The  annual  membership  fee  was  fixed  at  five 
dollars.* 

Beginning  It  was  after  the  organization  of  this  Association  in  1899  that  the  work 

Park  Work —  started  within  the  city  limits.  Tenney  Park  was  acquired  and  its 
Tenney  Park     filling  commenced.     The  subsciptions  for  this  purpose  were  $5,778,. 

most  of  the  money  being  contributed  by  Mr.  D.  K.  Tenney,  now 

deceased. 


Connecting  the  two  principal  lakes  which  border  the  city,  was  a 
Tenney  Park     rather  sluggish  and  shallow  stream  called  "The  Catfish."     It  was 

almost  altogether  through  a  marsh  and  was  bordered  on  one  side  by 
a  corduroy  road  called  "Water  Street"  by  courtesy.  Tenney  Park  bordered  the 
upper  end.  Voluntary  contributions  in  excess  of  $25,000  were  made  in  1903  and 
1904  for  the  improvement  of  the  Yahara  river,  the  new  name  for  "The  Catfish." 


Henry  Vilas 
Park 


Brittingham 
Park 


In  1904  the  improvement  of  the  land  lying  along  Lake  Wingra  was 
undertaken  by  the  Association.  Senator  and  Mrs.  William  F.  Vilas 
contributed  toward  this  work  $18,000  in  1904;  in  1905,  $10,000,  and 
in  1906,  $5,000. 

In  1905,  Mr.  T.  E.  Brittingham  contributed  $8,000  towards  the 
redemption  of  the  land  lying  along  Monona  bay.  Mr.  Britting- 
ham's  total  contributions  of  $24,500,  and  other  sums  provided  by 
the  city,  have  resulted  in  the  creation  of  the  Brittingham  Park  of 
today. 


Among  large  individual  givers  not  mentioned  above  have  been  Mr. 
Other  Large  George  B.  Burrows,  who  gave  twelve  acres  of  land  on  Lake  Mendota 
Gifts  valued  at  $15,000;  Colonel  and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Hollister,  $12,203.04; 

Mrs.  Anna  M.  Vilas,  for  improving  Henry  Vilas  Park,  $25,003,  and 
through  the  Zoological  and  Aquarium  Society  for  the  erection  of  an  aquarium  in 
Henry  Vilas  Park,  $5,000;  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Riebsam,  $500;  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Stewart,  for 
constructing  a  drinking  fountain,  $2,000. 

The  total  contributions,  including  those  for  1914,  amount  to  $307,012 — not 
including  $60,000  spent  by  the  railways  in  raising  tracks  and  building  new  bridges, 
or  $10,000  contributed  by  Mr.  Halle  Steensland,  deceased,  for  a  memorial  bridge 
over  the  Yahara,  on  East  Washington  avenue. 


*The  officers,  consisting  of  a  president,  vice-president,  secretary,    treasurer,  and   five 
directors,  are  elected  annually. 


i4  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

In  his  annual  address  as  president  of  the  Association,  Mr.  John  M. 
Establishment  Olin,  in  1902  and  again  in  1903,  made  an  urgent  appeal  for  the 
of  Playgrounds  securing  by  the  city  of  lands  for  playgrounds.  In  1892  the  direc- 
tors presented  a  petition  in  writing  to  the  Common  Council  of  the 
city  of  Madison  asking  that  body  to  appoint  a  committee  to  investigate  the  de- 
sirability and  feasibility  of  securing  in  different  portions  of  the  city  lands  for  park 
and  playgrounds  and  to  report  to  the  Council  the  results  of  their  investigation,  to 
the  end  that  the  Council  might  take  such  action  in  said  matter  as  might  seem  best 
for  the  welfare  of  the  City.  Pursuant  to  this  petition,  a  committee  was  appointed 
and  made  its  written  report  on  May  8,  1903,  recommending  the  purchase  of  certain 
lands  named  and  payment  therefor  by  the  issue  of  long  time  bonds  to  the  amount  of 
-$35,000.  On  June  17,  1903,  the  Council  by  unanimous  vote  of  the  seventeen  mem- 
bers present  authorized  the  issuance  of  the  bonds  to  the  amount  named. 

In  May,  1903,  Judge  J.  H.  Carpenter,  of  this  city,  offered  to  donate  and 
Kendall  deed  to  the  city  of  Madison  specifiically  for  park,  playground  and  kindred 
Park  purposes,  three  lots  in  Block  170  of  said  city,  on  condition  that  the  city 

secure  and  dedicate  for  like  purposes  three  lots  in  the  same  block.  This 
was  done  and  the  park  was  named  "Kendall  Park,"  in  memory  of  the  name  of  the 
deceased  wife  of  Judge  Carpenter. 

On  May  4,  1903,  Hon.  Burr  W.  Jones,  of  this  city,  proposed  to  convey 
Burr  Jones  to  the  city  of  Madison  four  and  one-half  lots  in  Block  133,  of  the  city 
Field  of  Madison,  for  park  and  playground  purposes.     The  offer  was  ac- 

cepted and  title  to  the  property  was  conveyed  as  proposed.  The 
city  purchased  another  lot  and  a  half  in  the  same  block,  thus  making  six  lots.  This 
tract  has  been  named  by  the  Council  "Burr  Jones  Field." 

On  July  8,  1906,  Hon.  Burr  W.  Jones  purchased  eight  lots  in  Block  37 
Olive  Jones  of  University  Heights  Addition  for  $4,800  and  offered  in  writing  to 
Field  turn  the  same  over  to  the  city  for  a  playground  on  being  paid  $2,300, 

the  only  condition  being  that  the  playground  should  be  named 
Olive  Jones  Field,  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Jones  and  should  be  used  for  playground 
and  park  purposes.  The  new  Randall  School  building  has  since  been  built  adjacent 
to  the  property  and  Olive  Jones  Field  forms  a  fine  playground  in  connection  with 
this  school. 

The  one  citizen  of  Madison  who  stands  out  above  all  others  in  connection  with 
the  work  of  the  Madison  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association  is  Mr.  John  M.  Olin. 
The  vast  achievement  of  this  association  is  the  direct  result  of  Mr.  Olin's  vision  and 
leadership.       The  present  activities  of  the  Association  include: 

(1)  The  administration  and  care  of  269  acres  of  park  land. 

(2)  The  care  of  many  miles  of  drives  not  within  parks  included  above. 

(3)  The  operation  of  two  public  bath-houses. 
{4)  The  operation  of  a  public  boat-house. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  15 

(5)  The  care  and  maintenance  of  the  zoo. 

(6)  The  maintenance  of  eight  tennis  courts  and  playfields. 

(7)  The  supplying  of  open  air  concerts. 

(8)  The  management  of  celebrations. 

Conclusions 

1.  The  principal  need  to  be  noted  under  the  head  of  promoting  organizations 
is  the  entire  lack  of  organizations  engaged  in  promoting  many  of  the  important 
forms  of  recreation  or  engaged  in  general  activities  in  this  field. 

2.  School  gradens  for  children  are  of  great  value  educationally  and  recrea- 
tionally,  and  in  order  to  make  them  fully  effective  should  be  operated  in  connection 
with  instruction  in  the  schools  carried  on  by  a  trained  garden  instructor.  The 
entire  taking  over  of  the  school  garden  work  by  the  Board  of  Education  is  to  be 
desired,  making  more  perfect  the  correlation  between  garden  and  other  study  and 
giving  the  Garden  Association  a  better  opportunity  to  take  up  other  problems — in 
particular  family  gardens. 

3.  For  the  maintenance  of  the  parks  and  drives  in  and  about  Madison  the 
present  organization  is  wholly  inadequate. 

There  is  needed  a  park  board  with  authority  extending  over  a  Greater  Madison 
Park  District,  with  power  to  secure  and  expend  public  funds  in  building  and  main- 
taining parks.  The  division  of  the  Greater  District  into  assessment  districts  in  the 
manner  successfully  employed  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  may  be  suggested  as  a 
possible  feature  of  the  plan. 

State  support  in  the  creation  of  additional  boulevards  and  drives  and  the 
parking  of  the  Monona  lake  shore  is  no  more  than  may  reasonably  be  expected. 
For  this  reason,  it  may  be  suggested  that  the  Governor  appoint  some  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  park  board.  A  definite  plan  for  the  amendment  to  the  statutes  should 
be  drawn  up  and  the  matter  presented  to  the  Legislature.- 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  CITY  GOVERNMENT 

The  recreational  facilities  of  the  city  government*  are  as  follows: 

Parks,  1 

Pleasure  Drives, 
Play  Fields 
Play  Grounds, 
Bath  Houses, 
Boat  House, 
The  Zoo. 


Administered  by  the  Park  and  Pleasure 
Drive  Association. 


The  City  Library  and  Branch — Board  of  Directors. 
The  budget  allotment  for  recreation  for  the  year  191 5  totals  to  $51,741.01, 
excluding  the  library.     The  library  receives  from  the  city  $14,503.55. 

The  Public  Parks 

The  parks  of  Madison  comprise  a  total  area  of  269  acres  with  41,945  teet  of 
water  frontage.  This  area  does  not  include  many  miles  of  drives  maintained  by  the 
Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association  except  those  in  parks.  These  drives  are  no 
less  a  part  of  our  park  system  than  are  the  larger  park  spaces. 

All  park  interests  of  Madison  are  administered  by  the  Park 
Administration  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association. 

Expenses  and  outlays  for  1914  amounted  to: 

Support        Expense $18,426.03 

Outlay 16,999.02 

The  total  city  appropriation  for  parks  in  1914  was  $34,999.02,  and  for  191 5  is 
$38,988.06.  The  rest  of  the  park  work  is  carried  on  by  means  of  voluntary  contribu- 
tions and  minor  operating  receipts. 

The  park  areas  and  water  frontage  of  parks  are  represented  in  this 
Park  Areas      table: 


*Excluding  the  Board  of  Education  Activity  and  certain  public  aid    given   to   winter 
sports  and  the  use  of  the  lakes. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


17 


Parks  Acres 

Brittingham  Park 27 

Burr  Jones  Field 1.5 

Burrows  Park 12 

East  Monona 6 

East  Washington  Avenue  Parkway 10 

Elmside  and  Hudson  Park 5.1 

Henry  Vilas  Park 62 . 6 

Kendall  Park 1.5 

Monona  Park  (Assembly  Grounds) 30 

Olive  Jones  Field 1.5 

Orton  Park 3.6 

Owen  Parkway 6 

South  Madison  Boulevard 5 

Spring  Harbor 1 

Spaight  Street  Park 1.5 

Tenney  Park 44  • 2 

Washington  Oval .9 

Wingra  Monona  Parkway 33 

Yahara  Parkway 16.9 


Water  Frontage 

437oft. 


Totals 


269.3 


550  ft. 

5000  ft. 

2000  ft. 

6000  ft. 

1350  ft. 

4800  ft. 

270  ft. 

600  ft. 

3800  ft. 

6000  ft. 

7200  ft. 

41,945  ft. 


Children's  Day  at  Henry  Vilas  Park. 


It  is  quite  evident  that  parks  are  a  necessity  to  any  city.  They  are  of  special 
benefit  where  private  space  is  being  given  over  to  buildings  and  where  the  population 
is  congested;  but  if  adequate  park  areas  are  to  be  secured,. it  is  important  to  provide 
the  land  before  it  has  risen  enormously  in  value.  Parks  are  a  good  business  invest- 
ment from  every  point  of  view,  for  health,  for  pleasure,  for  beauty,  for  education,  for 

the  advertisement  of  the  city.     The  net  per  capita  cost  to  the  city  of  $1.30  for  parks, 
3— r.  s. 


i8 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


pleasure  drives  and  playgrounds  is  exceedingly  low  considering  the  benefit — a  cost 
made  possible  only  by  the  generosity  of  some  of  her  public-spirited  citizens. 

In  addition  to  the  needs  for  further  improvements  in  existing  park 
Three  Facts  areas,  improvements  which  are  being,  or  soon  will  be  made,  for 
Deducible  completing  and  extending  certain  drives,  there  are  three  important 

needs  indicated  by  facts  noted  below:  (i)  For  greater  park  areas  to 
take  care  of  increase  in  population.  (2)  For  parks  nearer  certain  sections  of  the 
city-     (3)  For  provision  for  future  park  area  at  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 


MAP  3.     The  Areas  Shown  in  Black  are  More  Than  a  Half  Mile  from  Any  Considerable  Park  Space 

Serving  Residence  Districts.     The  Dotted  Area  is  Within  a  Half  Mile 

of  the  Proposed  Spaight  Street  Park. 

Map  3  shows  in  black  areas  of  Madison  over  one-half  mile  from  any 
Distance  to    park  except  Capitol  Park.     The  university  grounds  are  in  part   con- 
Parks  sidered  as  park,  but  the  Capitol  Square  is  of  so  little  service  to   resi- 
dential  sections,    that    it    cannot     properly    be    accorded    a    half    mile 
influence. 


Use  of  The  certain  need  for  greater  park  area  in  the  future  is  indicated  by  the 
Present  great  crowds  even  now  seen  in  existing  parks,  though  many  districts  of 
Area  the  city  have  still  to  be  built  up. 

The  advantages  of  having  a  park  within  a  half  mile  of  every  home 
Advantages  of  cannot  be  questioned.  The  walk  of  a  mile  to  and  from  a  park  is 
Nearness  more  than  can  be  expected  of  even  the  strongest  if  the  park  is  to 

be  used  daily  or  on  any  except  extraordinary  occasions.  The 
half  mile  limit  has  been  adopted  as  a  basis  upon  which  Chicago  is  planning  its  parks 
for  the  future. 

The  need  of  beautifying  and  parking  our  Monona  shoreline  has 
Regarding  the  been  emphasized  by  more  than  one  report.  This  matter  is  impor- 
Monona  Shore    tant  from  the  point  of  view  of  beautifying  the  city,  but  no  less  so 

from  the  recreational  point  of  view,  as  is  indicated  by  the  great 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  19 

number  of  people  using  the  railway  tracks  along  the  lake  as  a  parkway  on  beautiful 
days  the  year  around.  Hundreds  of  people  promenade  these  tracks  on  beautiful 
days,  even  in  winter. 

No  evidence  is  necessary  regarding  the  outskirts  of  the  city  and  new 
The  Outskirts  plats.  It  is  evident  that  the  present  need  is  not  great  far  from  the 
of  the  City  and  center  of  population.  Nevertheless,  concern  for  future  generations 
New  Plats  demands  that  the  question  be  given  consideration,  (1)  for  economy, 

and  (2)  because  by  planning  ahead,  better  conditions  can  be  se- 
cured than  are  possible  where  the  plat  has  been  accepted  and  settlement  has  become 
more  or  less  complete    without  any  plans  for  parks  or  playgrounds. 


A  Railway  Parkway,  Used  by  Many  People  on 
Beautiful  Days,  Even  in  the  Winter. 

The  Sage  Foundation  Homes  Company?  in  justifying  the  liberal  allotment  of 
play  and  park  space  in  their  Forest  Hills  Gardens  plan,  writes  as  follows: 

"Where  land  is  so  high  in  value  such  a  liberal  provision  of  land  for  common  use 
and  enjoyment  is  possible  upon  a  sound  commercial  basis  only  by  paying  a  round 
price  for  it;  and  in  the  last  analysis,  the  price  must  be  paid  by  the  occupants  of  the 
lots.  It  is  therefore  a  fair  question  how  that  price  is  £0  be  paid — just  what  loss  is  to 
be  set  off  against  the  gain.  The  question  may  be  answered  in  two  ways:  On  the 
one  hand,  lots  having  such  advantages  are  thereby  made  more  desirable,  and  are 
actually  worth  more  to  the  occupants  and  worth  more  on  the  open  market,  lot  for 
lot,  than  similar  properties  without  these  advantages;  just  as  lots  on  paved  and 
sewered  streets  are  worth  more  than  upon  a  street  that  is  unimproved,  the  increased 
market  value  covering  the  cost  of  the  improvement.  *  *  *  On  the  other  hand, 
it  is  possible  by  a  reduction  in  the  size  of  back  yards,  so  slight  as  not  to  reduce  their 
practical  usefulness,  to  save  enough  land  for  these  neighborhood  purposes  without 
increasing  the  price  of  lots  at  all." 

Thus,  the  matter  is  viewed  by  this  city  development  company  from  the  purely 
business  standpoint  and  without  regard  to  the  equally  practical  values  of  improved 
conditions  for  residence  districts  where  children  will  be  compelled  to  seek  recreation 
under  undesirable  and  harmful  conditions  if  space  is  not  allowed  for  healthful  play. 


20 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


Conclusions — Parks 

The  park  areas  of  Madison  are  not  inconsiderable — 391  square  feet  for  each 
inhabitant  if  we  include  some  space  not  yet  improved.  But  when  all  the  uses  and 
benefits  of  parks  are  considered,  Madison  cannot  be  said  to  have  parks  enough. 

(1)  One  of  our  needs  is  a  more  continuous  and  uninterrupted  and  systematical- 
ly managed  park  system. 

(2)  A  considerable  section  of  the  city  is  more  than  a  half  mile  from  any  park. 
This  situation  can  readily  be  corrected  by  the  creation  of  a  Mendota  lakeshore  park 
near  Franklin  street  and  of  a  park  in  the  eighth  ward  in  or  near  Block  6.  The  latter 
should  include  a  playfield. 


Typical  Block— Forest  Hills  Gardens. 


(3)  For  the  more  numerous  and  not  well-to-do  people  residing  near  the  North- 
western railroad  depot,  a  park  is  needed  on  the  Monona  shore  and  extensive  parking 
of  this  shore  would  no  doubt  relieve  the  situation  so  far  northwest  that  the  Mendota 
parking  would  be  much  less  necessary.  The  parks  which  are  to  be  provided  must  be 
made  highly  attractive  or  they  will  fail  in  their  purpose,  but  a  comparatively  narrow 
park  strip  outside  of  the  railroad,  on  the  Monona  shore,  would  certainly  be  greatly 
appreciated  by  the  public,  and  would  be  much  used. 

(4)  In  the  "Northeast  District,"  a  park  will  be  greatly  needed  not  far  from 
Nelson's  Corners  (intersection  of  Washington,  North,  Winnebago  and  Milwaukee 
streets).     The  land  should  be  secured  before  its  price  has  become  too  great. 

(5)  In  plats  for  new  sections  of  the  city  park  spaces  should  be  provided  within 
a  few  steps  of  every  home.  Real  estate  men  might  well  provide  these  spaces  for  the 
purpose  of  making  the  section  developed  more  attractive.  If  they  do  not  do  sc 
willingly  by  dedication,  special  assessments  for  parks  should  be  available. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


21 


"The  Willows",  on  the  Lake  Shore  at  Tenney  Park. 

PLAYFIELDS 

The  city  parks  are  utilized  as  space  for  tennis  courts,  baseball  fields,  and  a  foot- 
ball field.  The  playfields  are  administered  by  the  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Asso- 
ciation. There  are  now  two  tennis  courts  in  Tenney  Park,  two  in  Henry  Vilas 
park,  two  being  built  in  Tenney  park,  two  being  built  in  Brittingham  park. 

Baseball  diamonds  are  to  be  found,  one  in  Henry  Vilas  Park,  two  in  Tenney 
Park,  one  in  Brittingham  Park.  The  baseball  diamond  in  Vilas  Park  is  used  only 
on  permit  during  the  periods  when  it  is  greatly  in  demand.  In  this  way  the  benefit 
is  more  equitably  distributed.  The  only  football  field  is  located  in  Brittingham 
Park  and  is  used  by  the  High  School  teams. 


PARK  PLAYGROUNDS 

The  park  areas  of  the  city  afFord  space  for  four  playgrounds  which  are  operated 
very  wisely  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Board  of  Education.  These  are  Burr  Jones 
Field,  Olive  Jones  Field,  and  grounds  in  Tenney  and  Brittingham  Parks.* 

*Last  year  the  Brittingham  Playground  was  under  the  management  of  the   Park    and 
Pleasure  Drive  Association. 


22 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


The  desirability  of  a  single  control  over  all  playgrounds  cannot  be  questioned. 
Playgrounds,  as  the  term  is  here  used,  are  for  younger  children. 
The  city  budget  includes  $90.00  for  playground  equipment  in  addition  to  that 
provided  by  the  Board  of  Education. 

Conclusions 

With  the  extension  of  the  park  areas  of  Madison,  a  continued  development  of 
park  playfields  is  greatly  to  be  desired.  The  park  officials  are  in  a  position  to  render- 
valuable  service  to  the  community  by  aiding  in  securing  more  play  space  as  in  the 
past  they  have  aided  in  securing  much  of  what  we  now  have. 

At  least  one  track  and  more  and  better  fields  for  baseball  and  other  games  are 
immediate  needs.     The  specific  needs  of  the  fifth  ward  were  noted. 


! 

ik-     jM 

J 

H 1 

*** 

1  ■ , ' 

. 

■ftiiMk 

■     :  JP 

- 

Vilas  Park  Zoo 

More  tennis  courts  will  certainly  be  in  demand  it  these  are  maintained  so  as  to 
be  attractive  to  good  players.  Poor  courts  and  grass  courts  are  seldom  very  useful. 
It  is  so  important  that  tennis  courts  be  well  kept  in  order  to  be  useful,  that  in  a  city 
of  the  size  of  Madison  the  courts  should  be  located  at  one  place  where  equipment  for 
rolling  and  lining  can  be  kept  and  an  attendant  constantly  employed.  Tickets  per- 
mitting use  of  the  courts  for  an  hour  should  be  issued  whenever  possession  of  the 
courts  is  in  great  demand. 


THE  ZOO 

The  zoo,  located  in  Henry  Vilas  Park,  was  established  in  191 1  by  a  gift  by  Mrs. 
William  F.  Vilas.  Under  the  control  of  the  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association, 
its  growth  has  been  rapid,  especially  during  the  last  year.  Today  a  great  variety  of 
birds  and  beasts  is  included;  the  list  may  be  found  in  the  report  of  the  Association. 
The  zoo,  by  interesting  and  instructing  people  in  animals  and  their  habits,  is  an 
educational  influence  of  no  little  importance.  The  city  appropriated  $5,425.25  for 
the  purposes  of  the  zoo  in  1915. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  23 

Conclusions 

The  zoo  has  been  very  successfully  administered  and  has  received  the  generous 
support  which  it  merits. 

The  Board  of  Commerce  offers  for  the  benefit  of  the  zoo  to  exchange  with  any 
organizations  in  other  sections  of  the  country  animals  native  to  Wisconsin  for  others 
of  approximately  the  same  value  not  common  in  this  state. 

BATH  HOUSES 

Of  the  two  bath  houses  in  this  city,  the  first  was  erected  in  1909  in  Brit- 
History    tingham  Park,  at  an  expense  of  $7,500  borne  by  Mr.  T.  C.  Brittingham, 

and  the  second  in  191 3  on  the  Mendota  shore  of  Tenney  Park  at  a  cost  to 
the  city  of  $6,000. 

The  charges  for  use  of  the  houses  are: 
Charges   Bathing  suit,  rental   and  towel,   10  cents;  suit  without  towel,   5   cents;, 
towel  alone,  5  cents.     The  majority  of  patrons  own  their  own  suits. 

During  the  warmer  weather  last  year  the  average  daily  number  of  bathers 
Number  was  approximately: 
Using        Brittingham  Park 500 

Tenney  Park 600 

A  swimming  instructor,  who  gave   part  of  his  time  to   the   play- 
Supervision     grounds,  was  last  year  maintained  at  Tenney  Park  by  the  Board  of 
Education. 

Conclusions 

I.     The  equipment  at  the  bathhouses  is  wholly  inadequate  for  the 
Needed  number  desiring  to  use  the  bathhouses  in  hot  weather. 

Equipment 

2.     Continuous  supervision  of  both  a  man  and  a  woman  is  needed  at 
Needed  both  the  bathhouses.     This  supervision  should  be  by  skilled  instruc- 

Supervision  tors,  as  was  the  partial  supervision  at  Tenney  Park  last  year.     If  ade- 
quate supervision  is  lacking,  the  bathhouses  are  dangerous.* 

BOAT  HOUSES 

It  was  one  of  the  conditions  of  Mr.  Brittingham's  gift  of  a  bathhouse 
History       that  the  city  should  erect  a  boathouse  at  some  appropriate  place  in  Brit- 
tingham Park.     This  was  done  at  a  cost  of  $5,000. 


^Inadequacy  of  present  number  of  bath  houses  is  considered  elsewhere. 


24  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

The  charges  for  space  in  the  boathouse  are  by  the  year — five  dollars  for 
Charges     the  storage  of  a  rowboat  and  forty  cents  per  running  foot  for  launches. 

This  one  boathouse  hardly  affects  the  problem  of  supplying  adequate 
and  inexpensive  storage  facilities  for  privately  owned  boats.  The  existing  needs 
and  a  possible  solution  are  considered  later  on. 


BAND  CONCERTS 

For  the  past  four  years  there  have  been  furnished  by  the  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive 
Association  band  concerts  in  the  two  principal  parks.  Last  year  there  were  five 
concerts  in  Tenney  Park  and  four  in  Henry  Vilas  Park  at  a  cost  of  $597.00.  The 
cost  of  these  concerts  has  been  met  by  the  profits  from  the  refectories  in  the  parks. 

Conclusions 

Band  concerts  in  the  parks  are  a  most  popular  and  desirable  form  of  recreation. 
Obviously  nine  concerts  are  not  enough. 

REFECTORIES 

Refreshment  stands  are  afforded  in  Tenney  Park  and  Vilas  Park  when  the  pub- 
lic demand  is  sufficiently  great  to  attract  vendors.  The  income  from  the  rent  of 
stands  is  used  in  supplying  band  concerts. 

A  MUNICIPAL  NATATORIUM 

The  city  of  Madison  has  no  public  baths  or  natatorium.  The  need  for  a  nata- 
torium  from  the  recreational  point  of  view  is  great.  Few,  if  any,  more  effective 
methods  of  bringing  young  people  together  in  healthful  exercise  can  be  imagined. 

The  presence  of  excellent  facilities  for  summer  bathing  leads  many  to  conclude 
hastily  that  a  natatorium  would  be  an  extravagance.  This  conclusion  would  no 
doubt  be  somewhat  justifiable  if  it  were  not  a  fact  that  a  natatorium  combined  with 
other  bathing  facilities  is  greatly  in  demand  the  year  round.  In  the  warm  weather 
the  showers  and  cleaning  facilities  of  a  natatorium  in  Madison  would  certainly  be  in 
demand.  This  opinion  seems  to  be  thoroughly  justified  by  the  experiences  of  other 
cities. 

A  MUNICIPAL  GYMNASIUM 

Why  is  the  gymnasium  supplied  for  school  children  and  not  for  the  youth? 
Physical  exercise  is  one  of  the  crying  needs  of  this  day  and  age.  It  is  not  possible 
to  train  the  physical  self  without  influencing  also  the  moral  and  social  qualities. 

It  seems  self-evident  that  if  there  were  a  department  of  the  city  government  as 
much  interested  in  the  study  of  the  needs  of  adults  as  the  Board  of  Education  is  in 
the  needs  of  children,  there  would  be  other  facilities  offered  than  parks  and  lake 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  25 

bathhouses.       These    other    facilities    would    certainly    include    natatoriums    and 
gymnasiums. 

Of  course,  the  idea  ot  the  riatatorium,  or  at  least  public  bath,  goes  hand  in 
hand  with  the  public  gymnasium.  The  great  demand  for  a  municipal  gymnasium 
is  indicated  by  the  great  use  made  of  the  High  School  and  other  gymnasiums.  It 
^seems  safe  to  conclude  that  if  every  school  were  equipped  with  large,  well-equipped 
gymnasiums,  as  they  will  be  some  day  no  doubt,  open  certain  evenings  of  the  week 
and  supervised  by  competent  instructors,  the  demand  would  be  fairly  well  met. 
This  method  would  have  the  advantage,  moreover,  of  wide  distribution  of  gymnas- 
ium equipment  throughout  the  city  without  duplication  of  equipment  now  badly 
needed  for  the  school  children.  In  the  meantime,  a  temporary  structure  is  even 
more  in  demand  owing  to  the  lack  of  possible  use  of  school  gymnasiums. 


THE  FREE  LIBRARY 

A  library  is  of  course  primarily  educational,  but  much  of  its  work  is 
Growth  of  educational  through  channels  of  reading  of  the  more  easily  appeciated 
Library  varieties  of  books,  such  as  fiction,  literature  of  the  less  exacting  types, 

poetry,  history,  music,  and  so  forth;  i.e., the  library  is  educational  in 
much  the  same  manner  as  are  other  forms  of  recreation.  Our  library  has  been  in 
existence  for  the  past  forty  years  and  has  grown  enormously  during  this  period. 
Especially  during  the  last  ten  years  has  its  progress  been  rapid.  In  the  year  ending  in 
June,  1905,  81,079  books  were  circulated;  in  the  year  ending  in  June,  1914,  the  num- 
ber was  165,307 — an  increase  of  103%.  The  children  of  the  city  in  1905  read  24,848 
books,  and  in  1914,  59,423 — an  increase  of  139%.  In  some  cities  the  rapid  increase 
I  in  the  popularity  of  the  moving  pictures  has  been  assigned  as  the  cause  of  decreased 
reading.     Madison  has  felt  no  such  effect  so  far. 

As  indicated  by  the  figures  presented  above,  the  work  among 
Library  Service  children  is  important  in  this  city.  In  1910  a  branch  library  was 
for  Children  established  on  Williamson  street,  which  has  been  a  notable  suc- 

cess with  children  as  well  as  adults.  In  1914,  12,205  children's 
books  were  loaned  from  this  library — almost  as  many  as  the  total  circulation  of  the 
city  library  in  1905.  The  great  influence  of  this  branch  library  among  children  is 
exactly  in  line  with  the  ideas  which  it  is  hoped  this  Survey  will  present;  the  library 
is  within  its  field  a  recreational  resource  of  the  best  type.  As  a  supplement  to  the 
two  libraries  as  distributing  centers  for  children's  books,  there  are  books  sent  out  by 
the  central  library  to  every  schoolroom  in  the  city  to  be  distributed  by  the  teachers, 
except  at  the  Marquette  School,  adjoining  the  branch  library,  and  at  one  of  the 
parochial  schools.  Reading  rooms  for  children  are  supplied  at  the  central  library 
and  at  the  branch.  Both  are  of  ample  dimensions.  The  chief  difficulties  expe- 
rienced by  the  library  have  been  in  securing  books  enough  for  the  children,  so  thac 
every  child  may  have  at  least  a  fair  chance  to  get  what  he  needs. 


26  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

Adults  as  well  as  children  during  the  past  ten  years  have  not 
Facilities  for  ceased  to  look  to  the  library  as  a  recreational  resource.     In  1905, 

Adults  and  56,231  books  for  adults  were  circulated;  in  1914,  105,884 — 88c^  in- 

Branches  crease.     The  library  has  a  reading  room  for  adults  at  the  main 

building,  well  supplied  with  newspapers  and  periodicals.  A  refer- 
ence room  also  serves  as  another  reading  room.  At  the  sixth  ward  building  also, 
newspapers  and  periodicals  are  to  be  found  in  the  reading  room.  The  main  reading 
room  is  open  from  9:00  A.  M.  to  9:00  P.  M.  daily  except  Sunday,  and  on  Sunday 
from  2:00  to  6:00  P.  M.  from  October  to  June.  The  branch  reading  rocm  is  open 
from  2:00  to  6:00  P.  M.  daily,  but  on  Sunday  only  from  October  to  June.  Stations 
where  books  may  be  obtained  are  maintained  for  the  public  at  the  Schenk-Huegel 
store  on  Winnebago  street  and  the  Menges  Pharmacy  in  Wingra  Park.  At  the 
telephone  building  and  at  fire  station  No.  4  are  books  for  the  people  there  employed. 
All  departments  of  the  library  combined  offer  33,000  books  to  the  people  of  the  city. 

At  the  main  library  building  are  four  assembly  rooms,  use  of 
Library  Rooms  which  is  granted  without  fee  for  any  meeting  having  for  its  pur- 
as  Social  Centers  pose  the  general  welfare  of  the  community  and  open  to  the  pub- 
lic. Sunday  lectures  of  an  educational  character  are  given  at 
times  during  the  winter  under  the  auspices  of  the  library.  Several  organizations 
hold  their  regular  meetings  at  the  library.  The  sixth  ward  building  has  an  assem- 
bly room  seating  two  hundred  people,  which  can  be  divided  by  sliding  partitions 
when  more  than  one  room  is  needed.  During  the  past  winter  these  rooms  have 
been  used  three  nights  a  week  by  Continuation  School  classes.  The  other  three 
nights  they  have  been  used  by  three  clubs  of  young  people  under  leaders  from  the 
City  Y.  W.  C.  A.  and  the  University  of  Wisconsin  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  a  teacher  of 
the  Continuation  School. 

If  the  school  buildings  are  used  more  widely  for  evening  meetings,  it  would 
seem  most  natural  that  branch  libraries  should  be  established  in  the  schools  as  rap- 
idly as  expansion  of  library  facilities  is  desirable.  Such  location  would  both  make 
available  for  pupils  and  adults  the  books  available  and  also  provide 
facilities  without  the  additional  expense  of  special  buildings  for  branch  libraries. 

Conclusions 

The  city  library  in  the  establishment  of  the  sixth  ward  branch  started  the  en- 
largement of  its  service  in  accordance  with  the  modern  idea  that  the  book  must  be 
taken  at  least  part  way  to  the  adult  or  child  who  needs  it,  but  may  not  know  he 
needs  it.  The  experience  of  every  city  testifies  to  the  fact  that  very  few  people  will 
go  to  a  library  even  a  mile  distant. 

An  immediate  need  is  felt  for  another  branch  library  and  reading  room  in  the 
ninth  ward  to  serve  the  western  sections  of  the  city.  Foreign  adults  of  this  district 
should  be  served  with  newspapers  and  books  in  their  own  language. 

Such  a  branch  should  be  established  at  once  in  a  school  building  in  that  district. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  AS  A  RECREATIONAL 

CENTER 

The  tendencies  of  the  times,  following  the  pressure  of  new  social  con- 
Scope  of  ditions  and  the  rising  recognition  of  the  educational  values  of  play, 
the  Study       have  been  toward  a  greater  and  wider  use  of  the  school  as  a  play  and 

recreational  as  well  as  an  educational  center.     For  this  reason  the 
Madison  public  schools  have  been  studied  from  the  play  and  recreational  stand- 
point.    The  school  officials  have  co-operated  in  making  the  survey. 
The  investigation  covers: 

1.  The  character  of  the  school  district,  its  area  in  acres,  the  density  of  total 
population  and  the  population  by  age  periods  (Chart  i). 

2.  The  location  of  the  school  in  its  district,  its  distance  from  the  child  popula- 
tion and  the  character  of  the  school  surroundings.  (Chart  i). 

3.  The  size  and  character  of  the  school  playgrounds  and  equipment,  the  school 
gymnasium  and  equipment  and  the  general  facilities  of  the  school  buildings  (Charts 
2  and  5). 

4.  The  use  and  supervision  of  the  playgrounds,  and  the  use  of  the  school 
gymnasiums  during  the  school  year  and  during  the  summer,  and  the  school  as  a 
center  considered  in  relation  to  other  facilities  available  in  the  same  neighborhood, 
as  seen  in  the  map  survey  (Charts  3,  4,  6). 

5.  The  evening  use  of  the  schoolhouse  for  adults  and  youths  as  well  as  chil- 
dren. 

In  so  far  as  possible,  the  material  from  this  investigation  has  been  compiled  in 
chart  form,  making  a  comparison  possible  (1)  between  the  schools  and  (2)  between 
the  school  districts  served.     The  charts  presented  are  indicated  above. 


SPECIAL  DISTRICTS  NEEDING  ATTENTION 

The  existing  playgrounds  are  herein  considered  without  special  reference  to 
smaller  divisions  of  the  city  with  unusual  needs.  The  amount  of  private  lawn  space 
is  not  considered  below.  Before  going  further  in  this  section  of  the  study,  it  is, 
therefore,  necessary  to  point  out  that  in  the  eighth  and  fifth  wards,  in  the  Italian 
section  of  the  ninth  ward,  and  in  a  section  immediately  east  of  the  square,  the  needs 
are  aggravated  by  congested  building  and  lack  of  private  lawns.  Certainly  the  first 
duty  is  to  adequately  supply  those  with  greatest  need;  these  districts  should  receive 
immediate  attention. 


2S  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

SCHOOL  PLAYGROUNDS 

The  school  play  facilities  and  their  use  as  district  centers 
Criteria  of  Judgment  may  be  judged  from  the  standpoint  of  several  criteria — area, 

distance,  location,  equipment,  surface,  and  supervision. 

The  value  of  the  playground  increases,  within  wide  limits,  in  proportion  to 
Area  the  size  of  the  space.     Definite  standards  as  to  space  have  not   been  fixed. 

In  some  cities  where  property  values  are  very  high,  the  standard  set  by  some 
educational  authorities  of  30  square  feet  per  child,  is  often  quoted.  This  allowance  is 
not  supposed  to  be  entirely  adequate.  A  hundred  square  feet  (10x10)  per  child,  or 
440  children  per  acre,  seems  to  be  a  fair  minimum  by  which  to  judge  the  play- 
grounds of  Madison.  This  is  a  standard  below  which  the  relative  space  should  never 
be  allowed  to  fall,  since  only  certain  simpler  games  can  be  played  on  so  small  a  space. 

The  most  deficient  playgrounds  in  this  city  are  those  at  the  Wash- 
Schools  Deficient  ington,  Brayton,  Irving  (New  Harvey),  and  Hawthorne  (New 
Irving)  schools.  The  greatest  immediate  need  is  at  the  Washing- 
ton school.  On  the  basis  of  the  total  number  of  children  in  the  district,  all  the 
Madison  school  playgrounds  fall  below  the  standard  except  that  at  Randall  school. 
This  deficiency  is  offset  somewhat,  however,  by  open  spaces  in  some  of  the  dis- 
tricts and  by  parks  and  parochial  school  playgrounds,  but  not  fully  except  per- 
haps in  the  Longfellow  and  Doty  school  districts,  which  are  adjacent  to  Bntting- 
ham  Park.  That  the  playgrounds  should  be  large  enough  to  accommodate  almost, 
if  not  quite  all,  of  the  children  in  the  district,  cannot  be  questioned.  Every  young 
person,  whether  at  school  or  at  work,  should  play  part  of  the  time  at  active  games 
in  the  open. 

High  School  Needs.  The  high  school  has  no  playfields  of  any  description. 
Brittingham  Park  offers  an  opportunity  for  football  and  baseball  practice  under 
difficulties.  The  location  of  the  high  school,  only  one  block  from  Capitol  Square, 
makes  this  doubly  serious.  What  is  essential,  if  the  high  school  is  to  meet  the 
physical  education  needs  of  its  pupils,  is  a  series  of  courts  and  playfields  that  will 
accommodate  the  majority  of  the  boys  and  girls  in  some  kind  of  wholesome,  vigorous 
play  each  day.     This  difficult  problem  should  be  attacked  with  determination. 

Distance.  Experience  in  many  cities  has  shown  that  the  radius  of  influence  of 
a  playground  is,  for  general  purposes,  not  more  than  I  !\  mile,  except  for  older  chil- 
dren who  engage  in  organized  games.  Younger  children  prefer  play  in  the  street  to 
walking  a  long  way  to  reach  a  playground.  The  influence  of  distance  is  greatest  in 
connection  with  voluntary  use  of  the  playground  on  non-school  days. 

Applying  the  test  of  distance  to  Madison,  it  will  be  seen  that  over  half  the  area 
of  Madison  is  more  than  a  quarter  mile  from  any  school  playground.  From  this  we 
conclude  that  considerable  re-districting  should  be  attempted.  The  greatest  areas 
over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  any  school  are  in  the  Lapham,  Longfellow,  Randall 
and  Hawthorne  (new  Irving)  districts.  These  four  have  areas  over  a  half  mile  from 
school. 


TABLE  II 
Special  Districts 


Area 
Acres 
exclud 

ing 
railway 
prop'ty 

Distri- 
bution 
per  acre 
estiin'td 

Total 
popula- 
tion es- 
timated 

Number  of  Children  from  4-19  Years,  Inclusive 

Typical  Conditions  Found 

Totals 

4-6          7-11 
Years      Years 

12-14 
Years 

19-19 
Years 

Buildings 

Open  Spaces 

District 

Total 

f  of 
total 
popu- 
lation 
esti- 
mat'd 

Total 

Total 

Total 

Total 

Character  of  Dwellings 

Secondary  Structures 

Front  Yards 

Rear  Yards 

Vacant  Lots 

Parks  and  Playgrounds 

Remarks 

1    W.Wash.   Ave. 
S    Park  St. 
Regent  St. 

30 

20 

800 

2S0 

35 

57 

100 

02 

61 

Includes  very  cheap  and 
unheal  thful        homes; 
dilapidated    buildings 
found. 

Many  cheap  structures- 

Very  small  in  almost 
every  case,-  great  ma- 
jority of  lawns  lack 
grass,  and  are  disord- 
erly. 

Gardens  and  chickens 
in  a  number  of  in- 
stances; wood  and  iron 
litter;  no  lawns. 

Filled  with  trash  and 
litter,  not  actually  va- 
cant; mud  after  rain. 

Brittingham  Park  easily 
reached,  hut  children 
play  in  the  streets  and 
in  trash  piles  gener- 
ally. 

Italian  section — conditions  about  the 
homes  must  be  improved.     - 
playground    work    is  doing    good 
work,  but  the  children  will  always 
play   near  their  homes,  even  in 
ashes  and  refuse. 

B    Xo  Murraj  St. 
TV.  Dayton  St 
University  Ave. 
Xo.  BassettSt. 

271 

35 

950 

240 

20 

32 

57 

65 

92 

Largely   well  kept;   in- 
expensi  v  e    homes; 
many  rooming  houses; 
numerous      two      and 
three      home     apart- 
ments- 

Alley  sare  converted  into 
"courts,"    a  nd    o  1  d 
house  moved  back   or 
new  one  builton  court; 
not  a  few  stables  next 
door  to  homes. 

Small  front  yards;  very 
small  on  courts;  gen- 
erally fairly  well  kept. 

Frequently  very  small; 
lawns  rare. 

A  very  few  in  district, 
some  of  vacant  space 
held  as  lawn  and  not 
open  to  children,  not 
one  adequate  open 
space. 

Washington  School  and 
Brayton  School   play 
grounds  not  far. 

In    Latin   Quarter— Rooming  house 
business  has  caused  buildings   to 
replace  lawns.     Playground  work 
in    summer    at    Brayton     School 
would  help,  but  a  space  is  needed 
nearer      this      district's    center. 
Building    line    regulations  much 
needed 

3.  8th  Ward- 
Francis.  Slate. 
Hem  v.  W.  Wash- 
ington Ave. 

89 

29 

2,601 

.;-:, 

26 

108 

107 

12s 

252 

Largely  inexpensive  but 
well  kept  homes  so  far 
as     building    is    con- 
cerned; numerous  two 
and  three  home  apart- 
ments. 

Many  stables  and  sundry 
shed-like    structures, 
chicken  coops. 

Generally  well  kept,  but 
not  large  enough  to 
be  true  play  spaces. 

Many  barn  yards;  many 
trash  pile  yards;  some 
vegetable  gardens:  no 
play  space  in  great 
majority  of  instances 

Almost  unknown  in  the 
ward.  A  few  possible 
for  play,  but  not  large. 

Washington  School  play 
ground  very  small. 

This  ward  is  shut  in  from  all  parks 
The  playgrounds  cannot  solve  this 
problem.     Buildinir    line    regula- 
tions needed,  hut  chief  need  is  for 
pride    and    interest    in  lawns  and 
gardens,    and    removal    of    trash 
neaps  and  barn  yards. 

4.  Xo.  Butler. 

E.  .Tin,                                      gj 

No.  Blair, 

E.  Washington  Ave. 

39 

830 

21r, 

26 

41 

73 

50 

52 

Same  as  3 

Sheds  and  stables  quite 
common. 

Almost  no  front  yards, 
more  1U  than  ft.  deep, 
not  large  enough  for 
play. 

Gardens  not  uncommon: 

law  ns almost  uuknown. 

Almost  unknown. 

St.  Patrick's  School  and 
Lincoln  School 
grounds  near,  little 
used. 

Another  district  far  from  any  park. 
Here  too  a  public  park  is  needed. 
but    more   important  still  is   the 
need  tor  building  line  regulations 
and   care   of  lawns  on  part  of  in- 
habitants 

5    Yahara  Pk.  way, 
Winnebago  St. 
Railroad  Si. 
So.  First  Bt 

9 

20 

no 

74 

41 

12 

29 

14 

19 

Small   inexpensive,   but 
very  orderly  homes. 

Sheds    and    stables    not 
uncommon. 

Small. 

Numerous  very  pleasant 
lawns. 

A  few. 

No  adequate  public 
space  near. 

As  it  is  wedded  in  between  two  rail- 
ways, this  property  is  at  the  mercy 
of  the  city  to  a  very  real  extent 
Why  should    it   not   be  beautified 
by    parking    the    space    between 
the    Northwestern  and  this   plat, 
i.  e.,  the  widening  of  Railroad  St.. 
and  fencing  the  railway  right  of 
way. 

2$  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

SCHOOL  PLAYGROUNDS 

The  school  play  facilities    and  their  use  as  district    centers 
Criteria  of  Judgment  may  be  judged  from  the  standpoint  of  several  criteria — area,  ] 

distance,  location,  equipment,  surface,  and  supervision. 
The  value  of  the  playground  increases,  within  wide  limits,  in  proportion  to 
Area  the  size  of  the  space.     Definite  standards  as  to  space  have  not   been  fixed.  I 

In  some  cities  where  property  values  are  very  high,  the  standard  set  by  some 
educational  authorities  of  30  square  feet  per  child,  is  often  quoted.  This  allowance  is 
not  supposed  to  be  entirely  adequate.  A  hundred  square  feet  (10x10)  per  child,  or 
440  children  per  acre,  seems  to  be  a  fair  minimum  by  which  to  judge  the  play- 
grounds of  Madison.  This  is  a  standard  below  which  the  relative  space  should  never 
be  allowed  to  fall,  since  only  certain  simpler  games  can  be  played  on  so  small  a  space. 

The  most  deficient  playgrounds  in  this  city  are  those  at  the  Wash- 
Schools  Deficient  ington,    Brayton,  Irving   (New  Harvey),    and    Hawthorne  (New  J 

Irving)  schools.  The  greatest  immediate  need  is  at  the  Washing- 
ton school.  On  the  basis  of  the  total  number  of  children  in  the  district,  all  the 
Madison  school  playgrounds  fall  below  the  standard  except  that  at  Randall  school.  | 
This  deficiency  is  offset  somewhat,  however,  by  open  spaces  in  some  of  the  dis- 
tricts and  by  parks  and  parochial  school  playgrounds,  but  not  fully  except  per- 
haps in  the  Longfellow  and  Doty  school  districts,  which  are  adjacent  to  Bntting- 
ham  Park.  That  the  playgrounds  should  be  large  enough  to  accommodate  almost, 
if  not  quite  all,  of  the  children  in  the  district,  cannot  be  questioned.  Every  young 
person,  whether  at  school  or  at  work,  should  play  part  of  the  time  at  active  games 
in  the  open. 

High  School  Needs.  The  high  school  has  no  playfields  of  any  description. 
Brittingham  Park  offers  an  opportunity  for  football  and  baseball  practice  under 
difficulties.  The  location  of  the  high  school,  only  one  block  from  Capitol  Square, 
makes  this  doubly  serious.  What  is  essential,  if  the  high  school  is  to  meet  the 
physical  education  needs  of  its  pupils,  is  a  series  of  courts  and  playfields  that  will 
accommodate  the  majority  of  the  boys  and  girls  in  some  kind  of  wholesome,  vigorous 
play  each  day.     This  difficult  problem  should  be  attacked  with  determination. 

Distance.  Experience  in  many  cities  has  shown  that  the  radius  of  influence  of 
a  playground  is,  for  general  purposes,  not  more  than  I '4  mile,  except  for  older  chil- 
dren who  engage  in  organized  games.  Younger  children  prefer  play  in  the  street  to 
walking  a  long  way  to  reach  a  playground.  The  influence  of  distance  is  greatest  in 
connection  with  voluntary  use  of  the  playground  on  non-school  days. 

Applying  the  test  of  distance  to  Madison,  it  will  be  seen  that  over  half  the  area 
of  Madison  is  more  than  a  quarter  mile  from  any  school  playground.  From  this  we 
conclude  that  considerable  re-districting  should  be  attempted.  The  greatest  areas 
over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  any  school  are  in  the  Lapham,  Longfellow,  Randall 
and  Hawthorne  (new  Irving)  districts.  These  four  have  areas  over  a  half  mile  from 
school. 


Open  Sf 


1J5 


ickens 
of  in- 
ad  iron 


F 


small; 


A 


3. 


many 
some 

ns:  no 
great 

ances. 


nmon: 
nown. 


iasant  a 


Location  of 
School 


IT  No.  Broom.. 

12  East 
loruam 


05  East 

lioglOQ  Ave 


161  West  Wilson. 
8  West  Johnson 


Name  of 
School 


Lincoln 

Bray  ton 
Doty 

Draper 


Description  of  the  District. 


2237  Williamson. 


003  Jenifer ,Irving 

.  Marquette 

432  East  Dayton.  Laphara 

012  Chandler Longfellow 

i  Spooner [Randall 

124  Division ; Hawthorne 


1st  and  8th  Wards. 


2d  Ward  over  i  mile  from  Brayton    School 
and  7th  Ward,  west  of  Brearly  Street. 


3rd  and  2nd  Ward  within  r  mile. 

4lh  Ward. 

5th  Ward. 

6th  Ward,  west  of  Ingersoll  Street. 


0th  Ward,  east  of  Ingersoll  Street,  and  west 
of  the  Yahara  River 


7th  Ward  east  of  Brearly  Street,  and  west 
of  4th  Street. 


9th  Ward. 
10th  Ward. 


lilh  Wai  d  east  of  Yahara  River  and  7th 
Ward  east  of  4th  Street. 


Total 

(estima- 
ted for 

11114.  i 


Population  of 
District. 


2407 
3818 
1102 


2682 
1805 


Chil 
dren 
4-19 
1911 
school 
census 


7558 
973 


053 
508 
793 
368 


578 
902 


CHART   I 


The  School  District — Population 


The  School  as  a  District  Center 


Area  of 
District 
(exclud- 
ing Park 
andR.  R. 
property ) 
Acres 


112 

102 
171 


218 
240 
500 


Population 
per  acre. 


Chil- 
dren 
per 
acre 


5.8 
5.0 
4.6 

4.0 


2.6 
3.8 


Distribution  of  Boys  and  Girls  in  Each  District  by  Age  Periods. 


7S3 
368 


578 
902 
638 


380 
175 


294 
447 
313 


330 
252 
413 
193 


284 
455 
325 


96  of 
total 
chil 
dren 
ocity 


mo 


Children  4  6 


157 
101 


123 
245 
160 


%of 
total 


Children  7-11 


247 
166 


189 
307 
211 


Boys 


to  Of 

total 
in  dis 
tricl 


Children  12-14 


91 
146 
122 


I  loj  - 


ft  of 
total 
in  dis. 
trict 


Children  15-19 


144 

156\ 
256 
109 


175 
201 
147 


%  of 
total 
in  dis 
trict 


Location  of  School  in  District 


Area  over  i 
mile  from 
school 


Area  over  i 
mile  from 
school 


%  of 
dis- 
trict 


%  of 
dis- 
trict 


No.ot  children 

4-11,  over  1  mile 

from  school 


19 
17 
200 
34 


%  of  all 
in  dis- 
trict 


No.  of  children 

12-19,overi  milt 

from  school 


,  of  all 
indis 
trict 


Character  of  School  Surrounding 


(13 

tn  -X 

S  J3 

is 

~s  M 

S  —  S3 

£  a  • 

■- 
C 

a  *» 

g.^3 

■zs-S 

g>3 

A 

Z 

Z 

Z 

2 

z 

Yes 
No 
Yes 
Yes 


Distance  in  Blocks  (approximately  600  ) 


4 

1 

i 

i 

1 

6 

6 
3 

1 
2 

B 
10 

* 

across 

the 
street 

1 

adjoin- 
ing 

3 

2 

2 

1 

1 

1 

2 

5 

3 

adjoin- 

2 

3 

3 

adjoin- 
ing 

* 

3 

1 

2 

adjoin- 
ing 

4 

i 

3 

3 

1 

1 

'■ 
12 

3 

adjoin- 
ing 


adjoin- 
ing 


'  Within  half  mile  ot  another  school. 


•Part  within  half  mile  another  school. 


^1 


I 


CHART  II 
School  Playgrounds— Capacity  and  Equipment 


Public  School  Playground  Area  and  Capacity 

Playground  Equipment 

Surface  of  Playground 

Districts 

Total  Children  of 
School  Age 

Total  Children  in 
Public  Schools 

Area 
[in  sq.  ft.) 

Sq.  ft. 

per 
child  in 
school 

Sq  ft. 
per 
child 
in  the 
district 

Are 
there 
park  or 
paro 
chial 
play- 
grounds 
indis- 
trict? 

@10  Xl0'  per  child 
as    minimum,   the 
total   sq.    ft  defic 
iencyof  this  play 
ground  is: 

X. 

o 
U 

7d 

-O 
43 

to 

a 
m 

09 

O 

O 

CO 

"3 

C 

00 
0> 
X 

o 
fi 

•d 

c 

o9 
03 

on 

•o 
u 

a 
o 
CQ 
u 

<D 
*J 
<X> 
<D 

H 

E 

Q> 

-a 

s 

a 
"5 

0) 

Eh 

Cfl 

ba 
a 

£ 

o 

<x> 
02 

en 

a> 

"H 
"C 

93 
a 

cJ 
"5 

00 

E 

ce 

n 

a 

o 

"E 

o 

m 

a) 

to 
c 

% 

03 

Turf 

Gravel 

Clay 

Drainage 

Grading 
Greatly 
Needed 

Is  the  field 
usable  in 

wet  weather 
and  early 

Wards 

1 
Based  up- 
on chil 
dren  in 
the  pub- 
lic schools 

2 
Based  up- 
on chili- 
dren  in 
the  dis- 
trict 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Totals 

7578 

3706 

3872 

3866 

1929 

1937 

7 

1 

1 

25 

21 

3 

3 

7 

7 

1  and  8 

Washington 
School 

Lincoln 
School 

Brayton 
School 

Doty 
School 

draper 
School 

rving 
School 

Marquette 
School 

Lapham 
School 

Longfellow 
School 

Randall 
School 

Hawthorne. 
School 

973 
579 
653 
508 
793 

368 
611 

578 
902 
638 

955 

480 
277 
323 
256 
380 

175 
290 
294 
447 
3)3 

456 

493 
302 
330 
252 
413 

193 
321 
284 
455 
325 

499 

423 
313 
300 
243 
308 

315 
307 
246 
410 

387 

614 

226 
164 
150 
128 
154 

149 
141 
135 
213 
193 

290 

197 
149 
150 
125 
154 

106 
160 
121 
197 
194 

324 

10, 700 
38, 250 
13,400 
31,200 
31,400 

13, 500 
49,800 
29, 700 
6^,  100 
98,800 

20, 000 

25 
122 

45 
128 
102 

43 
163 

121 
154 
255 

32 

11 
66 
20 
61 
39 

38 
82 
46 
70 
155 

21 

Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
No 

No 

No 

No 
Yes 
Yes 

Yes(?) 

31,610 

87,610 
25,476 
54, 920 
18,650 
37, 920 

21.340 
11,280 
33,  900 
27, 120 

3 

3 

Yes 
Part 

Poor 
Poor 
Good 
Poor 
Fail- 
Fair 
Poor 
Poor 
Poor 
Poor 

Poor 

Yes 
Yes 
No 
Yes 
Yes 

Yes 
No 
No 
No 
Yes 

Yes 

No 

Yes 
Part 

Yes 
Yes 
Part 
Yes 

Yes 

Yes 
Part 
Part 

Yes 

2  and  7th 

No  equipment 
No  equipment 

No 

west  of 
Brearly  St. 

16,620 

Yes 

3  

1 

1 

1 

3 
4 

4 

3 
3 

3 

1 
1 

1 

1 
4 

1 
1 

No 

No 

6  west  of 
Ingersoll 
St 

6  Ingersoll 
St.  to  the 

1 

18,040 

No 

2 
1 
1 

1 

3 
4 

3 

3 

No 

9 

' 

1 

1 

Part 

No 

10 

No  equipment 

No 

41,750 

75,440 

6  and  part 

of  7 
east  of  the 

1 

4 

3 

1           1 

No 

MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  29 

Location  and  Surroundings.  Children's  playgrounds  should  be  in  a  safe 
and  wholesome  environment.  From  the  point  of  view  of  environment,  six  of 
the  Madison  schools  may  be  criticised:  (1)  The  Washington  school  is  in  a  dangerous 
district.  The  children  from  the  first  ward  have  to  cross  a  very  dangerous  street 
(State)  to  reach  school,  and  the  school  is  at  the  back  doors  of  business  places  on 
State  street.  (2)  The  Doty  school  is  on  a  much  used  railway  line.  (3)  The  Bray- 
ton  school  is  in  a  somewhat  dangerous  and  a  semi-business  district.  (4)  The  Irving 
(new  Harvey)  and  Marquette  schools  are  on  street  railway  streets,  the  latter  in  addi- 
tion being  on  a  general  traffic  and  commercial  street.  (6)  The  Lapham  school  is 
near  some  much  used  railway  tracks. 

Equipment.  Equipment  for  games  is  obviously  essential  and  must  be  suf- 
ficient for  the  activities  of  a  majority  of  the  children,  but  it  is  a  simple  item  that 
is  relatively  inexpensive,  though  difficult  to  administer,  so  it  will  not  be  discussed 
here.  The  fixed  apparatus  represents  the  opportunities  for  physical  play  in  the 
development  of  personal  achievement  and  is  just  as  important  as  the  space  for  play. 
The  variety  of  apparatus  should  give  opportunities  for  a  wide  range  of  efforts,  and 
the  amount  should  include  pieces  to  accommodate  about  one-fourth  of  the  children 
in  the  school  at  the  same  time.  On  small  playgrounds  a  larger  allowance  is  needed. 
The  Draper  school  is  the  only  one  in  Madison  at  all  adequately  equipped  as  regards 
number  of  pieces  of  apparatus,  and  there  no  sand  box  is  provided.  Teeter  boards 
and  swings  are  popular  forms  of  apparatus  and  are  needed  at  almost  every  play- 
ground. The  equipment  of  the  playgrounds  is  in  almost  every  case  of  an  unsatis- 
factory quality. 

Surface.  An  otherwise  model  playground  cannot  be  used  extensively  if  it 
is  not  well  graded  and  drained.  The  Brayton  school  playground  is  the  only  well 
graded,  well  drained,  gravel-surfaced  ground  in  the  city.  The  surfaces  of  some  of 
the  playgrounds  are  so  bad  that  their  use  is  impossible  a  considerable  port  of  the 
time.  This  is  bad  economy  and  a  serious  handicap  to  playground  use.  It  is  very 
important  to  have  every  playground  well  drained  and  surfaced  with  gravel  so  that 
it  will  be  usable  at  all  times  except  during  actual  rainfall. 

Steep  slopes  in  playgrounds  are  a  serious  handicap  to  their  use  and  popularity. 
The  size  of  a  playground  must  be  judged  chiefly  by  the  area  of  level  space.  The 
Lincoln  school  grounds  have  been  in  the  past  entirely  too  sloping,  only  parts  of  them 
being  available  for  the  ordinary-  games.  Beauty  must  be  sacrificed  where  the  more 
important  consideration 'of  utility  is  presented. 

Fencing  of  Playgrounds.     The  advantages    of    fencing    the  playground    are: 

(1)  That  it  makes  easy  the  establishment  and  enforcement  of  playground   limits 

and  prevention  of  dangerous  play  in  the  streets,  etc.      (2)  That  it  makes  possible 

.  greater  care  of  apparatus  at  night  without  difficulty.     (3)  That  in  certain  ways  it 

aids  in  maintaining  discipline  on  the  playground,  and  in  this  way  makes  possible 

•    greater  playground  influence.     (4)  That  it  makes  possible  the  closing  of  the  play- 

■  ground  at  night  in  order  to  exclude  rowdies  likely  to  disturb  the  neighborhood. 

But,  if  the  playground  is  too  small,  fencing  seriously  interferes  with  play  and  is  not 

effective  in  the  ways  just  indicated  except  for  care  of  apparatus.     A  fence  alone;  a 

dangerous  street  may  be  necessary  in  spite  of  objections.     The  \\  ashington,  Bray- 


30  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

ton  and  Irving  (new  Harvey)  school  playgrounds  are  too  small  to  permit  of  fencing. 
The  side  street  (Broom)  at  the  Doty  school  might  better  be  graded  to  the  level  of 
the  playground  than  be  fenced  off.  The  terraces  at  Lincoln  school  make  fencing 
less  necessary.  Draper,  Marquette,  Lapham,  Longfellow,  Randall,  and  Haw- 
throne  (new  Irving)  school  playgrounds  would  be  improved  if  fenced. 

Organization  and  Supervision.  Unsupervised  and  unorganized  playgrounds 
are  not  successful.  Such  playgrounds  are  a  nuisance  to  neighbors,  are  unsafe, 
and  frequently  are  centers  for  great  injustice  and  even  corruption.  Where 
all  elements  meet,  the  worst  by  force  of  numbers  is  likely  to  prevail.  At  all  events, 
wholesome  play,  justice,  and  safety  require  supervision,  and  the  supervisor  to  get 
results  must  be  an  active  organizer,  not  a  mere  police  officer  or  guard.  The  stand- 
ards of  conduct  set  by  supervision  offer  restraint  not  felt  on  the  streets  and  in  alleys; 
therefore,  the  play  director  must  organize  play  so  that  the  children  will  have  better 
times  than  elsewhere;  otherwise  the  playground  will  not  be  the  true  play  center  of 
the  district.  The  playground  director  should  stand  as  the  public  antidote  for  prac- 
tically all  the  bad  habits  known  to  childhood,  and  as  an  educator  in  the  practical 
science  of  healthy  play  and  wholesome  relations  with  others. 

Charts  3  and  4  indicate  that  during  the  last  year  few  if  any  of  our  playgrounds 
were  truly  play  centers  for  their  districts.  They  show,  also,  that  there  was  almost 
no  effective  supervision,  except  on  a  few  playgrounds  in  the  summer.  They  indi- 
cate finally  much  dangerous  play.  These  charts  clearly  indicate  the  local  needs. 
The  lack  of  organized  play  and  the  lack  of  playground  use  are  important  and  will  be 
noted  specifically. 


SUMMER  USE  OF  PLAYGROUNDS 

Summer  Vacation  as  a  Problem.  With  the  close  of  school  and  the  beginning 
of  the  summer  vacation,  parents  and  policemen  are  confronted  with  new  duties  and 
problems.  The  school  children  with  whole  days  at  their  disposal,  and  in  most  cases 
nothing  definite  to  do,  develop  an  enormous  capacity  for  mischiet.  The  restraint 
of  school  discipline  is  left  behind  and  the  children  sow  and  reap  their  yearly  habits 
of  willfullness,  of  idleness,  and  very  often  vicious  habits.  Then  every  fall  the  same 
task  of  overcoming  the  bad  habits  and  establishing  good  habits  is  incumbent  upon 
the  teacher.  If  play  supervision  and  organizations  are  necessary  during  the  school 
year,  how  much  more  are  they  necessary  during  the  summer  months. 

Independency  of  Presenr  Provisions.  The  inadequacy  of  the  present  system  of 
play  during  the  summer  vacation  is  apparent  (see  chart)  when  we  discover  that  only 
three  school  playgrounds  were  provided  with  play  leaders  and  that  eight  had  none 
whatsoever  during  summer  1914.  These  three  were  the  Doty,  Marquette  and  Long- 
fellow schools.  The  deficiency  of  Lapham  school  is  pretty  well  offset  by  the  near- 
ness of  Tenney  Park,  while  the  Irving  school  children  used  Marquette  school,  and 
Randall  school  is  in  a  district  with  a  great  deal  of  vacant  space.  The  Burr 
Jones  Field  was  not  officially  open  last  summer,  and  at  present  the  equipment  is  in 
a  run-down  condition.      Here  is  a  problem  needing  immediate  attention. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  31 

THE  SCHOOL  GROUNDS  AND  STREET  TRAFFIC 

The  item  of  safety  is  ore  deserving  special  consideration  in  this  connection. 
t  should  be  noted  immediately  that  che  greatest  means  of  insuring  safety  is  super- 
vision—supervision to  keep  the  children  from  crossing  railway  tracks  and  racing 
nto  the  street,  and  supervision  of  the  expert  kind  that  will  draw  all  the  children  to 
he  playground  and  away  from  their  tag  and  "nibs"  on  the  way  to  and  from  the 
layground. 

The  various  elements  entering  into  playground  safety  and  not  directly  con" 
lected  with  the  supervision  of  the  play  activities  have  to  do  with  going  to  and  from 
chool.     The  methods  used  for  securing  such  safety  are: 

1.  Education  of  the  children  in  safety  matters. 

2.  Education  of  drivers  as  to  "Safety  First"  in  connection  with  traffic. 

3.  Strict  enforcement  of  traffic  regulations. 

4.  Placing  signs  at  such  distances  from  approaches  to  schools  and  dangerous 
xossings  as  will  warn  drivers  before  they  reach  such  danger  zones. 

5.  Fencing  the  playground  in  some  places,  or  at  least  perpendicularly  banking 
he  edges  so  that  rules  as  to  play  limits  can  be  enforced. 

6.  Placing  traffic  police  at  the  more  dangerous  crossings. 

7.  Closing  streets  at  certain  hours  when  children  are  passing  through  them  in 
large  numbers. 

8.  Selection  of  location  for  the  schools  yet  to  be  built  where  necessity  of 
>assing  through  or  of  crossing  heavy  traffic  streets  will  not  exist. 

A  general  "safety  first"  educational  campaign  in  Madison 
bi  Educational  would  seem  to  be  desirable  at  this  time,  for  the  safety  of  school 
Campaign  children  if  for  no  other  reason.     It  has  been  the  opinion  of  many 

that  some  accident  will  occur  in  the  near  future.,  which  will 
nake  it  easy  to  arouse  sentiment  in  favor  of  greater  safety,  but  with  two  fatali- 
ies  to  children  occurring  in  this  city  caused  by  automobiles  during  the  year  1914, 
nore  incentive  for  action  could  hardly  be  hoped  for.  It  matters  little  that  the 
Irivers  weie  less  at  fault  than  the  children;  the  educational  campaign  should  reach 
)oth.  Perhaps  so  far  as  children  are  concerned,  school  instruction  will  have  more 
iffect  than  warnings  to  drivers,  but  certainly  many  delivery  wagon  drivers,  and 
>thers  are  notoriously  careless.     Some  of  the  blame  lies  with  the  police  department. 

It  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  enforce  speed  regulations  equitably,  but 
3olice  the  fact  that  it  is  not  done  in  Madison  does  not  imply  that  it  cannot 

Regulations     be  done.     The  department  is  urged  to  take  active  steps  in  reducing 

the  speed  of  vehicles  on  State  street  and  elsewhere,  using  methods 
;hown  to  be  effective  in  other  cities. 

The  city  this  spring  took  the  very  wise  step  of  placing  signs  at  the  ap- 
Danger  proaches  of  school  grounds,  but  the  signs  are  not  located  far  enough  from 
Signs         the  schools  to  be  of  greatest  service.     A  distance  of  at  least  100  feet 

should  be  allowed  for  slowing  down  and  in  order  to  protect  children    not 


32 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


directly  in  front  of  the  building.  Signs  should  be  placed  on  State  street,  warning 
vehicles  that  the  intersection  of  that  street  with  Henry  and  Johnson  is  especially 
dangerous.     The  decorative  effect  need  not  be  considered  in  these  signs: 

DANGER 

School  Grounds 
speed  limit,  8  miles  per  hour 

Simplicity  and  effectiveness  are  important  elements. 

In  regard  to  placing  traffic  police  at  certain  corners,  this  city  has 
Traffic  Police  not  been  deficient.  One  corner  is  especially  dangerous,  viz,  the 
for  Safety  comer  named  in  the  last  paragraph,  and  at  this  corner  there  is  an 

officer  stationed  from  11:30  A.  M.  until  12:15  P.  M.  and  from  3:15 
P.  M.  until  6:00  P.  M.  A  posted  officer  at  this  point  is  certainly  of  great  value; 
though  he  alone  cannot  accomplish  the  task  of  making  a  dangerous  corner  perfectly 
safe,  as  is  indicated  by  our  remarks  concerning  signs  and  speed  regulations. 


Doty  School  Showing  Playgrounds. 


With  regard  to  closing  streets,  it  must  be  remembered  that  as  a  safety 
Closing  measure  little  can  be  done.  The  dangerous  streets  are  not  those  that 
Streets  can  be  spared  in  the  majority  of  cases.  Consideration  of  the  possi- 
bilities in  Madison  has  led  to  the  conclusion  that  closing  of  streets  is 
not  a  great  need  except  in  one  instance.  By  closing  Broom  street  as  a  means  of 
entering  the  railway  triangle  at  the  end  of  Brittingham  Park,  and  by  adequate 
fencing  of  the  playground's  railway  limit,  safety  can  be  secured  as  far  as  the  railway 
trains  are  concerned.     The  present  situation  is  intolerable. 

Locations  of  the  present  schools  are  considered  with  regard  to  safety 
Schoolhouse  in  Chart  3.  Only  one  school  has  been  seriously  criticised  with 
Locations  regard    to    location.     The    Washington    school    serves    two   wards 

divided  by  State  street,  a  heavy  traffic  street.  The  school  is  cen- 
trally located  in  the  district.     Two  schools  would  obviate  the  necessity  of  crossing 


CHART  III 
Playgrounds — Use  and  Supervision 


School 

Popularity  of  Playground  Compared  with  Play  in  streets — 
Prefer- 

Supervision  of  Play 

Dangerous  Practices 

Before 
School 

Recesses 

Noon  Hour 

After  School 

Summer 
Vacation 

Directed  Play 

Supervision  to  Prevent  Accidents 

Noted 

*3 
(0 
<P 

H2 

'o 

— 
O 
o 

55 

a 

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a 

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0) 
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,0 
CD 

a 

(A 

o 

3 
(a 

.2 

CD 

a 

O 

Noon 
Hour 

Holi- 
days 

Summer 
Vacation 

Recesses 

and  after 

School 

Noon 
Hour 

Holi- 
days 

Summer 
Vacation 

be  en 

■2-S 

is 

o 

s  „ 

C  £  S 

ft 

Oh 

UQ 

a  a  « 
■RS« 

c  .  3 

04)   "> 

_g  So 

ft 

V 
V 
V 
V 

V 

V 
V 

V 

V 

V 
V 
V 
V 

V 
V 

V 
V 

V 
V 
V 

V 
V 

V 

V 

V 

None 

ti 

it 
ti 
it 

None 

ti 

None 

Play- 
ground 
Instruct'r 

None 

Play- 
ground 
Instruct'r 

None 

Play- 
ground 
Instruct'r 

ci 

Teachers  and 

Principals  watch 

the  play  to  the 

best  of  their 

ability.     Older 

children  when 

deemed  specially 

capable,  are  given 

supervisory  duties. 

None 
ti 

None 

Play- 
ground 
Instruct'r 

None 

Play- 
ground 
Instruct'r 

None 

Play- 
ground 
Instruct'r 

None 

Yes 
Yes 

Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 

Yes 

Yes 
Yes 
Y'es 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 
Yes 

Doty 

V 

V 

V 
V 

V 
V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

V 

Yes 

Randall 

V 
V 

V 

V 

V 

Yes 

Yes 
Yes 

V 

v 

V 

Yes 

32 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


directly  in  front  of  the  building.  Signs  should  be  placed  on  State  street,  warning 
vehicles  that  the  intersection  of  that  street  with  Henry  and  Johnson  is  especially 
dangerous.     The  decorative  effect  need  not  be  considered  in  these  signs: 

DANGER 

School  Grounds 
speed  limit,  8  miles  per  hour 

Simplicity  and  effectiveness  are  important  elements. 

In  regard  to  placing  traffic  police  at  certain  corners,  this  city  has 
Traffic  Police  not  been  deficient.  One  corner  is  especially  dangerous,  viz,  the 
for  Safety  corner  named  in  the  last  paragraph,  and  at  this  corner  there  is  an 

officer  stationed  from  n  130  A.  M.  until  12:15  P.  M.  and  from  3:15 
P.  M.  until  6:00  P.  M.  A  posted  officer  at  this  point  is  certainly  of  great  value; 
though  he  alone  cannot  accomplish  the  task  of  making  a  dangerous  corner  perfectly 
safe,  as  is  indicated  by  our  remarks  concerning  signs  and  speed  regulations. 


■^■1 

-!!!&? 


Doty  School  Showing  Playgrounds. 


With  regard  to  closing  streets,  it  must  be  remembered  that  as  a  safety 
Closing  measure  little  can  be  done.  The  dangerous  streets  are  not  those  that 
Streets  can  be  spared  in  the  majority  of  cases.  Consideration  of  the  possi- 
bilities in  Madison  has  led  to  the  conclusion  that  closing  of  streets  is 
not  a  great  need  except  in  one  instance.  By  closing  Broom  street  as  a  means  of 
entering  the  railway  triangle  at  the  end  of  Brittingham  Park,  and  by  adequate 
fencing  of  the  playground's  railway  limit,  safety  can  be  secured  as  far  as  the  railway 
trains  are  concerned.     The  present  situation  is  intolerable. 

Locations  of  the  present  schools  are  considered  with  regard  to  safety 
Schoolhouse  in  Chart  3.  Only  one  school  has  been  seriously  criticised  with 
Locations  regard    to    location.     The    Washington    school    serves    two   wards 

divided  by  State  street,  a  heavy  traffic  street.  The  school  is  cen- 
trally located  in  the  district.     Two  schools  would  obviate  the  necessity  of  crossing 


CHART  IV 
Summer  Use  of  Playgrounds — 1914 


Play  Ground 


School  . 


_4 
3S 


■o.£ 

a>  t/i 

as  »2 

Q  * 


Bad  Surface 
No 


2  B  $ 


Ves 


Yes 


Ves 


No 


No 


No 


No 


1      Yes      Yes      Yes       0 


No 


No 


No 


Yes 


Football 


i  S 

as, 


Only 

by 

High 

School 


Adequate 

H.  S. 

Field 

Needed 


ZU 


No 


Basketball 


1)  en  rs  ^3 

a 


No 


No 


No 


No 


No 


No 


No 


Yes 


Yes 


Sand  Boxes 


Loads 

of 
Sand 


1     No    No     Yes         1     Y'es     No      None 


».E  S-o  « 
;  a  £  <a  » 


Y'es 


Yes 


No 


No 


0j    US 

H 


-a 

Hi 

OS 
o 


Pool  Not 
Filled 


Lake 


Lake 


Yes 


No 


Yes 


Volley 
Ball 


«  □ 

-  s 


No 


Teetek 
Boards 


Yes 


Yes 


Ye: 


No 


No 


Yes 


Yes 


Teeter 
Ladders 


&  s 


Yes 


Yes 


Yes 


Giant 
Stride 


No 


No 


No 


-    ■- 


3£ 


Yes 


Yes 


Bar 

Slides 


No 


Vaulting 
Standard 


Jumping 
Pit 


■a  .2 

«     S 

-      1 


Ves 


No 


&3 


Yes 


Direction  and  Supervision 


Instructors 


Hours 

Daily  Except 
Sunday 


Remarks 


No 


Skilled  Man 
Skilled  Woman 

None 

Skilled  Man 
Unskilled  Woman 

Skilled  Man 
Unskilled  Woman 

Unskilled  Woman 


1:00-9:00 


Man  1:00-9:00 

Woman  1:00-6:00 

Man  1:00-9:00 

Woman  1:00-6:00 


This  field  was  not  orti 
cially  open,  1914 
Field  needs  filling 


Instructors  also  served 
at  the  bath  house  for 
swimming  instruction. 


Older  boys  used  Britting- 
ham  park  playground 


This  and  one  other  school  playground  were  not  officially  open,   1914 


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CHART  V 
School  Gymnasiums  and    Space  Used  for  Gymasium  Purposes 


Dimensions 

Light 

Use  op  Gymnasium 

Supervision 

Location 
in 

Condition 
of 

Heated 

Finish 
of 

Ventilation 

School 

^ 

"  S  c 
a  §  8 

r1?b 

^55  0- 

-    r. 

a 

& 

TJ 

g 

W 

Building 

Floor 

Day 

Arti- 
ticial 

Walls 

By  Whom 

At  What  Times 

'£3  o 

^-  : 

IT.    Ol 

Principal  or  Older  Children 
in  every  case 

6th,  7th  and  8th  grades-boys 

Each  one  afternoon  a  week 

1    Washington 

60 

20 

11 

Attic 

Good 

O.  K. 

Yes 

No 

Rafters 

Windows 

Gth,  7th,  and  8th  grades— girls 

Two  afternoons  a  week 

Yes 

2.  Lincoln 

No  Gymnasium  or  Gymnasium  equipment.     New  building  will  have  a  modern  gym. 

So 

?>.  Bray  ton   . . 

15 
18 

60 
00 

11 
11 

Attic 
Attic 

Good 

Fair 

Yes 

No 

Rafters 

Windows 

5th,  6th,  7th  and  8th  grades— boys 
6th,  7th  and  8th  grades- girls 

si 

Three  afternoons  a  week 
Two  afternoons  a  week 

Yes 

i.  Doty 

36 

24 

11 

Basement 

O.  K. 

O.  K 

Wir'd 

but 
not  in 

Yes 

Plaster 

Fan  system 

and 

Windows 

6th,  7th  and  8th  grades-  boys 
6th,  7th  and  8th  grades— girls 

a  o 

Each  one  afternoon  a  week  (?) 
Two  afternoons  a  week 

Yes 

Yes 

Services  of  High  School  boys  or  Uni- 

5. Draper.   . . . 

60 

20 

11 

O.  K. 

Yes 

No 

Rafters 

6th,  7lb,  and  8th  grades— boys 

>»■£ 

Each  one  aflei  noon  a  week 

Yes 

versity  sludents  not  satisfactory, 

7th  and  8th  grades— girls 

,D  bl 

Each  one  afternoon  a  week 

as  in  most  cases  no  helpful  coach 

«_  w- 

ing  gi^en;   merely  acting  as  ref- 

ii. Irving 

No  Gymnasium  or  Gymnasium  equipment. 

eree.  University  could  co-operate 
and  give  grade  school  boys  and 

"    Marquette.. 

45 

15 

12 

2d  Story 
Hall 

Good 

O   K. 

Yes 

Yes 

Plaster 

Fan  system 

and 

Windows 

6th,  7th,  and  8th  grades— boys 
7th  and  8th  grades  -girls 

3S 

3  3 

b£  bO 

d>   <x> 

Each  one  afternoon  a  week 
Each  one  afternoon  a  week 

Yes 

girls  much  helpful  coaching  and 
supervised  play. 

8.  Lapham  .... 

No  Gymnasium  or  Gymnasium  equipment. 

9.  Longfellow.. 

60 

20 

12 

Basement 

O.  K. 

O.  K. 

\'es 

No 

Plaster 

Windows 

6th,  7th  and  8th  grades— boys 
7th  and  8th  grade— girls 

« 

Each  one  afternoon  a  week 
Each  one  afternoon  a  week 

Yes 

30 

40 

16 

Basement 
First  lloor 

O.  K. 

O   K. 

Yes 

Y'es 

Plaster 

Fan  system 

and 

Windows 

\  es 
Yes 

10.  Randall    ... 

11.  Hawthorne. 

MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


33 


State  street.  The  one  serving  the  eighth  ward  would  provide  for  a  rather  small 
district,  but  one  not  lacking  in  population.  The  one  serving  the  first  ward,  if  lo- 
cated near  the  corner  of  Gorham  and  Carroll,  would  draw  children  also  from  sec- 
tions of  the  second  ward,  now  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  any  schoolhouse. 

SCHOOL  GYMNASIUMS 

Grade  Schools'  Needs.  It  is  during  the  school  ages  that  physical  develop- 
ment and  training  are  most  needed.  Such  development  should  not  be  overlooked 
in  winter  and  is  not  by  the  modern  school.  There  is  only  one  grade  school  gym- 
nasium, that  at  Randall  school.  Six  schools  have  improvised  basket  ball  courts 
capable  of  partially  satisfying  the  demands  of  enthusiasts.  Two  new  buildings  are 
being  erected  with  adequate  gymnasiums — Lincoln  and  Hawthorne   (new  Irving) 


) 


Washington  School,  Spring  of  191 5.     The  Street  is  the  Playground. 


schools.  Lapham  and  Irving  (new  Harvey)  schools  lack  even  a  basket  ball  court. 
Almost  no  supervision  is  provided  for  gymnasium  work.  Organized  and  directed 
play  on  a  large  scale  is  much  needed.  Competent  leaders  are  demanded.  [Equip- 
ment is  greatly  to  be  desired  in  every  gymnasium.  At  present  almost  none  is  found 
except  for  basket  ball. 


High  School  Gymnasium 

The  students  have  been  deprived  of  entirely  adequate  use  of  the  High  School 
gymnasium  owing  to  the  generous  desire  of  the  Board  of  Education  to  extend  its 
field  of  usefulness  by  including  persons  not  attending  high  school.  Chart  6 
shows  the  use  and  supervision  for  the  past  year.  The  equipment  of  the  High  School 
gymnasium  is  meagre  considering  the  number  accommodated  and  the  possible  ex- 
tent of  its  usefulness.  The  High  School  enrolled  a  total  of  1012  pupils  for  the  year 
191 4-1 5 — 444  boys  and  568  girls.  There  are  over  two  thousand  young  people  be- 
tween the  ages  of  fourteen  and  twenty,  who  are  not  in  any  school  and  who  might  be 
greatly  benefited  b\  physical  training  if  they  were  given  the  opportunity. 
4— r.  s. 


34  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

EVENING  USE  OF  SCHOOLHOUSES 

Progress  in  Fuller  Use  of  School  Buildings.  The  tendency  of  modern  times 
toward  utilizing  public  property  to  its  fullest  extent,  towards  a  free  and  unre- 
stricted use  of  the  school  buildings,  for  example,  is  taking  root  in  the  consciousness 
of  Madison  people.  Nothing  could  be  more  economical  and  advantageous  than  to 
make  the  modern  school  building  with  its  generous  and  varied  equipment  a  civic 
center  for  the  young  and  old  of  the  neighborhood.  For  several  years  attempts 
have  been  made  to  utilize  the  school  buildings  of  Madison  in  this  way,  but  not  until 
last  year  (1914)  has  it  been  possible  to  even  approach  an  organization  of  districts 
with  regular  weekly  schedules  for  the  use  of  the  buildings  during  the  evening. 

Agencies  Supplying  Leaders.  Progress  in  the  development  and  carrying  on 
•of  the  evening  activities  in  the  schoolhouses  and  community  clubs  is  due  in  a  large 
measure  to  the  co-operation  of  young  men  and  women  from  the  following  organi- 
zations: City  and  University  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  Social  Service  Group,  University  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  Young  People  of  University  Methodist  Church,  advanced  students  in 
physical  education,  public  school  music,  sociology  and  home  economics  of  the 
University.  In  all  nearly  thirty  instructors  and  leaders  donated  their  services  to 
this  work  last  year. 

Clubs  and  Classes,  Evening  Schools.  Evening  use  was  made  of  six  schools 
during  the  past  year — the  Randall,  Longfellow,  Draper,  Washington,  Doty  and 
Lapham  schools.  Table  3  shows  the  meeting  place  of  the  various  groups,  the 
nature  of  the  activities  and  the  time  of  meeting. 

At  the  Longfellow  and  Randall  schools  the  boys  were  divided  into  groups  by 
age  so  that  each  group  might  have  interests  in  common.  The  girls  in  the  ninth 
ward  (Longfellow  district)  having  but  one  night  a  week,  were  divided  with  half  the 
•evening  for  those  under  fourteen,  and  half  for  the  others.  Classes  were  held  in 
cooking,  plain  sewing,  and  chorus  work. 

Not  one  of  the  three  schools  in  the  sixth  ward  contains  an  assembly  hall. 
The  seriousness  of  this  situation  led  three  organizations  to  combine  to  secure  a 
small  house  in  the  northeast  district  (corner  of  Atwood  avenue  and  Demming 
street)  which  served  as  gymnasium  and  club  house.  Work  done  here  during 
1914-15  included  basketball,  gymnasium  work,  folk  dancing,  social  dancing, 
games  and  choruses.  On  Sunday  afternoons  there  were  talks  and  musicals.  The 
work  is  not  continued  during  the  summer.  A  room  in  the  branch  library  (near 
corner  of  Williams  and  Patterson  streets)  affords  another  center  in  the  sixth  ward, 
where  practically  the  same  activities  were  carried  on. 

Success  and  Enthusiasm  Aroused.  The  work  was  very  successful,  as  shown 
by  the  large  attendance  and  the  constant  demand  for  the  use  of  the  buildings.  The 
schools  with  large  halls  were  most  in  demand.  Longfellow  and  Randall  schools 
were  used  during  the  winter  every  night  sometimes  by  more  than  one  group  in  one 
evening.  So  popular  were  the  supervised  open  meetings,  that  boys  came  regularly 
once  a  week  from  the  second  and  seventh  wards  (not  supplied  with  halls)  co  play  at 
Randall  school — a  distance  of  over  two  miles. 

Opportunities  for  Improvement.     The  importance  of  the  evening  recreational 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


35 


TABLE  III 
Evening  Use  of  Schoolhouses 


Meeting-  Place. 

Name  of  Club. 

Members. 

Nature  of  Work. 

Day  of  Week. 

Longfellow  Sch. 

Boys'  Club  (under  14) 
Girls  of  District 

4C  boys  and  others 
Hebrew  boys 
Italian  boys 
Continuation  school 

Boys 
Girls 

Big  boys 
Big  boys 
Big  boys 
Adults 

Gym  .  baskbal] 
Basketball, chor 

(two  classes) 
Basketball 
Basketball 
Basketball 
Night  school 

Monday  and  Wed. 
Friday. 

Thursday. 
Tuesday. 
Saturday. 
Mon.,  Wed.,  Fri. 

Randall  School 

t ; 

( ( 
I. 
u 
u 

Boy  Scouts 

Catholic  Knights 

Young  men,  2d,  7th  wds 

Randall  boys 

4Cboys 

10th  Ward  Association 

Dancing  Club 

School  boys 

Adults 
i< 

School  boys 
Big  boys 
Adults 

ii 

Gym.  (2  classes) 

Basketball 

Basketball 

Gymnasium 

Gym.&bask'ball 

Social 

Social,  dancing 

Wednesday. 

Tuesday. 

Thursday. 

Monday  and  Tues. 

Monday. 

Tuesday. 

Saturday. 

Draper  School 

Boys'  Club 
Girls  of  District 
Working  boys 

Boys 
Girls 
Big  Boys 

Social  and  Gym 

Friday. 

Thursday. 

Wednesday. 

Lapham  School 

Boys'  Club 
Neighborhood  Club 

Boys 
Adults 

Social  and  Gym. 
Social  &  Educa. 

Thursday. 
Friday. 

Washington  Sch. 

St.  John's  Church  Club 

Big  boys 

Basketball 

Tues.  and  Thur. 

Doty  School 

Neighborhood  Club 

Adults 

Social  &  Educa- 
tional 

Friday 

East  End  Com- 
munity Club 

(( 
If 

Sixth  Ward  boys 

Sixth  Ward  girls 

Boy  Scouts 
Neighborhood  Club 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 
Adults  &  chil 

Bask'ball,  Gym. 

(three  classes) 
Bas'ball,  games 

(two  classes) 
Gym.  and  drill 
Music,  talks, 

lectures 

Mon.,  Tues., Thur. 

Wed.  and  Friday 

Saturday. 
Sunday,  P.  M. 

6th  Ward  Lib 
Italian  Theatre 

Girls'  Club 

Italian  Welfare  Ass'n 

Girls 
All 

Gym.,  dancing, 
and  games 

Music,  talks, 
lectures 

Friday. 
Sunday,  P.  M. 

36  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

and  social  use  of  the  schools  is  not  easily  exaggerated.  The  same  equipment  suit- 
able for  the  regular  work  of  the  younger  school  children  can  be  used  in  the  evening 
in  such  a  way  as  to  give  a  vast  amount  of  pleasure  and  physical  and  moral  better- 
ment. What  has  been  done  against  great  odds  in  the  Longfellow,  Randall  and 
Draper  schools  can  be  done  elsewhere  under  the  directions  of  a  community  leader. 
The  new  buildings  (Lincoln  and  new  Irving  schools)  afford  gymnasiums  tending  to 
make  the  work  easier  in  their  districts,  but  the  earnest  co-operation  of  many  people 
will  be  required  to  carry  forward  the  work  and  a  skilled  director  of  all  recreational 
work  in  the  public  schools  both  during  school  hours  and  in  the  evening  will  be 
necessary  to  make  the  co-operation  fully  successful. 

Needs,  i.  Facilities  for  adults,  large  assembly  halls  especially,  are  lacking 
and  are  much  needed  in  every  district  except  that  served  by  the  Randall  school. 

2.     To  administer  the  work  a  full  time  supervisor  is  urgently  recommended. 


SUMMARY  BY  SCHOOLS  AND  DISTRICTS 

WASHINGTON  SCHOOL 

Location.  School  is  centrally  located  in  one  district,  but  the  immediate  sur- 
roundings are  unfortunate.  The  eighth  ward  would  of  itself  be  a  better  school  dis- 
trict with  its  center  further  west  than  the  present  school.  First  ward  and  part  of 
the  second  ward  would  then  be  a  new  district,  (i)  making  a  desirable  location  pos- 
sible for  this  as  well,  (2)  obviating  the  necessity  of  crossing  State  street  to  school, 
and  (3)  bringing  a  school  within  a  reasonable  distance  of  children  living  in  the 
western  half  of  the  second  ward. 

Playground.  A  very  inadequate  playground  is  provided — one-fourth  large 
enough  for  present  minimum  requirements.  The  playground  is  very  meagerly 
equipped  with  apparatus,  its  surface  is  unsatisfactory,  making  it  unusable  in  wet 
weather  and  early  spring.  No  directed  play  is  provided.  The  grounds  are  little 
used,  the  streets  being  equally  popular  and  more  convenient.  The  need  for  ade- 
quate and  attractive  grounds  is  greater  because  of  the  almost  total  lack  of  space 
about  homes.  The  number  of  children  per  acre  is  greater  than  in  any  other  district 
(6.1).     Thirteen  per  cent  of  the  total  children  in  the  city  live  in  this  district. 

Unsatisfactory,  small,  low  attic  room  is  used  as  gymnasium.  Little  supervision. 
No  skilled  directed  play  except  by  the  instructor  responsible  for  eleven  other  schools 
who  takes  occasionally  a  few  minutes  from  the  playgrounds.  Sparse  equipment 
provided. 

Summer  Play.  This  school  was  not  used  as  a  play  center  during  the  last  sum- 
mer, the  nearest  playgrounds  being  operated  at  Doty  school  and  Brittingham  Park. 

Evening  Use.  This  school  is  not  equipped  for  adult  evening  use  and  has  not 
been  so  used,  nor  is  the  school  made  use  of  largely  by  younger  groups.  The  need 
for  evening  meetings  for  adults  and  youths  is  great. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  37 

LINCOLN  SCHOOL 

Location.  The  school  is  so  located  that  children  in  the  western  part  of  the 
second  ward  are  almost,  if  not  fully,  a  half  mile  from  school.  This  situation  makes 
the  playgrounds  of  little  use  to  this  section  without  exceptionally  well  organized  play. 
The  proposed  first  and  second  ward  school  would  correct  this  situation.  The  im- 
mediate surroundings  of  this  school  are  attractive. 

Playground.  The  present  playground  is  too  sloping  to  be  useful  for  many 
forms  of  play.  Grading  is  necessary  to  secure  a  sufficiently  large,  level,  quadrangle 
and  to  make  the  whole  space  available.  For  the  children  this  is  a  greater  need  than 
the  natural  beauty  of  the  slope  and  trees.  The  total  space  is  adequate  if  made 
available.     Supervision  is  not  afforded  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  play. 

Gymnasium.  The  Lincoln  schoolhouse  being  erected  includes  a  gymnasium 
and  equipment. 

Summer  Use.     The  playground  was  not  used  last  summer. 

The  Burr  Jones  Field  was  not  used  last  summer.  If  it  had  been,  the  need  of 
Lincoln  school  playground  would  hardly  have  been  felt. 

Evening  Use.  No  use  has  been  made  of  this  school  in  the  evenings  either  by 
adults  3r  children. 

BRAYTON  SCHOOL 

Location.  The  school's  location  in  many  ways  is  not  desirable,  but  in  this  dis- 
irict  better  locations  are  almost  impossible  to  find,  and  locations  satisfactory  today 
might  be  invaded  by  garages  and  traffic  tomorrow. 

Playground.  The  playground  is  wholly  inadequate  for  present  needs.  Almost 
no  other  space  is  found  in  the  district  except  in  the  streets,  and  at  St.  Patrick's 
school  playground  at  the  extreme  eastern  edge  in  the  second  ward.  Most  of  the 
streets  are  very  dangerous.  Lack  of  equipment  and  supervision,  as  at  Washington 
school,  prevents  the  playground  from  being  attractive  and  the  real  center  for  play. 

Gymnasium.  Two  medium-sized  attic  rooms  are  used  for  gymnasium  pur- 
poses. Equipment  is  almost  wholly  lacking.  The  ceiling  is  too  low  and  the  room 
is  not  heated. 

Summer  Use.  The  nearness  of  Burr  Jones  Field  makes  the  lack  of  summer  use 
of  the  Brayton  playground  less  serious  when  the  former  is  used. 

Evening  Use.     No  provision  for  evening  use  of  this  school  was  made  last  year. 


DOTY  SCHOOL 


Location.  School  is  well  located  except  as  regards  the  proximity  of  the  rail- 
road. As  conditions  now  exist,  children  play  almost  on  the  tracks,  and  with  no 
fence  at  the  end  of  the  street,  children  cross  the  tracks  to  play  in  Brittingham  Park. 
The  street  end  should  be  fenced  immediately. 

Playground.  When  both  front  and  back  yards  are  used,  the  grounds  afford  128 
square  feet  per  child  in  school,  but  only  61  square  feet  per  child  in  the  district. 
However,  Brittingham  Park  relieves  the  deficiency  somewhat.     The  surface  is  un- 


38  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

satisfactory  and  wholly  unusable  after  rainfalls.  The  grounds  have  better  equip- 
ment than  some  others. 

Gymnasium.  A  far  too  small,  low,  basement  roomserves  inadequately  for 
basket  ball.     No  equipment  is  provided  except  for  basket  ball. 

Summer  Use.  The  needs  of  the  district  in  the  summer  were  adequately  met 
as  regards  younger  children. 

The  older  children  played  in  Brittingham  Park  without  supervision. 

Evening  Use.     One  club  used  this  school  in  the  evenings. 

DRAPER  SCHOOL 

Location.  Almost  half  of  the  district  is  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  but 
none  over  a  half  mile  from  the  school.     The  immediate  surroundings  are  attractive. 

Playground.  The  playground  is  not  deficient  on  a  basis  of  number  of  children 
in  public  school,  but  a  very  small  proportion  of  the  children  living  in  this  district  are 
in  public  school.  Play  space  is  lacking  about  homes  to  a  marked  degree.  It  is  in 
other  ways  an  important  district;  ten  per  cent  (only  n  schools  in  town)  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  city  live  in  this  district.  A  larger  space  and  organized  play  are  needed. 
The  equipment  of  this  ground  is  practically  complete. 

Gymnasium.  A  room  in  the  attic  serves  for  basket  ball  court.  The  ceiling 
is  too  low,  the  floor  poor,  the  room  imheated  and  generally  unattractive. 

Summer  Use.  The  much  needed  supervision  was  not  supplied  on  this  play- 
ground last  summer.  The  demand  for  open  space  caused  it  to  be  considerably 
used  notwithstanding.  This  is  certainly  one  of  the  centers  greatly  needing  organ- 
ized play  in  the  summer. 

Evening  Use.  Three  young  people's  groups  used  the  school  in  evenings  last 
year. 

IRVING  (NEW  HARVEY)  SCHOOL 

Location.  School  is  the  center  of  the  smallest  district  in  the  city  in  area  (with 
Doty  as  a  close  second),  but  a  considerable  portion  of  the  area  is  more  than  a  quarter 
mile  from  the  school.  No  portion,  however,  is  over  a  half  mile  from  the  school. 
The  immediate  surroundings  are  not  extremely  objectionable,  the  chief  objection- 
able feature  being  the  street  car  tracks.  On  the  other  hand,  the  neighborhood  is  an 
attractive  one. 

Playground.  The  playground  is  very  small  and  fails  to  adequately  meet  pres- 
ent needs.  This  situation  is  somewhat  less  serious  than  it  would  be  were  it  not  for 
Marquette  school  within  a  half  mile,  but  additional  space  of  at  least  18,000  square 
feet  is  needed  for  minimum  requirements.  There  are  now  43  square  feet  per 
child  in  school  and  38  square  feet  per  child  in  the  district. 

Gymnasium.  The  school  has  no  gymnasium  or  any  room  capable  of  being 
used  as  one. 

Summer  Use.  This  playground  was  not  in  use  last  summer.  The  Marquette 
playground  (within  a  half  mile)  served  as  a  partial  substitute.  A  woman  super- 
visor is  much  needed  here  for  the  younger  children. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  39 

Evening  Use.  The  school  was  not  used  in  the  evenings  for  either  adult  or 
children  groups.     The  use  of  the  branch  library  made  such  use  less  necessary. 

MARQUETTE  SCHIOOL 

Location.  The  school  is  a  little  too  far  west  to  be  centrally  located  in  the  dis- 
trict, but  this  defect  is  not  serious.  The  surroundings  of  the  school  are  undesirable 
— a  business  and  traffic  street  on  one  side  and  car  tracks  on  the  other.  When  the 
present  building  is  abandoned,  the  site  should  be  abandoned  and  one  adjoining 
more  secluded  streets  selected. 

Playground.  The  large  playgrounds  are  not  large  enough  considered  on  a 
basis  of  the  total  number  of  children  out  of  school  as  well  as  in.  The  equipment  is 
very  deficient.  The  use  of  these  playgrounds  is  extensive,  but  could  be  increased 
enormously  by  resurfacing,  by  increased  and  better  equipment,  and  by  supervision 
of  play.  The  playground  need  in  this  district  is  great.  Organization  and  super- 
vision are  especially  needed. 

Gymnasium.  A  small  second-story  corridor  is  used  for  basket  ball  and  indoor 
baseball  as  far  as  possible.  Nowhere  in  the  city  is  a  well  equipped  gymnasium 
more  needed  or  more  desired  by  the  young  people  in  and  out  of  school. 

Summer  Use.  Two  supervisors,  a  man  and  a  woman,  provided  for  these 
grounds  excellent  supervision  last  summer. 

Evening  Use.  The  schoolhouse  is  not  fitted  for  evening  uses,  but  this  situa- 
tion is  met  by  rooms  provided  in  the  branch  library  for  social  and  other  clubs  of 
adults  and  children. 

LAPHAM  SCHOOL 

Location.  Lapham  school  district  is  too  large.  The  surroundings  are  very 
satisfactory,  the  only  objectionable  feature  being  the  railroad  tracks.  The  size  of 
the  district  could  be  reduced  either  by  moving  the  school  or  by  adding  another  be- 
tween Lincoln  and  Lapham  schools. 

Playground.  The  area  of  the  playground  is  sufficient  since  play  space  is  af- 
forded by  Tenney  Park  also.  The  grading  and  drainage  are  very  imperfect.  The 
equipment  is  deficient.     No  directed  play  is  provided. 

Gymnasium.     No  facilities  are  provided  for  any  kind  of  gymnastic  work. 

Summer  Use.  The  use  of  the  park  playground  made  Lapham  school  unneces- 
sary last  summer.     The  equipment  of  this  playground  should  be  utilized  in  summer. 

Evening  Use.  The  school  was  not  used  for  adult  or  children's  evening  meet- 
ings.    More  evening  use  is  desirable. 

LONGFELLOW  SCHOOL 

Location.  This  district  has  12%  of  children  of  city  within  its  borders  more 
than  a  third  of  whom  are  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  school.  This  objection 
is  not  serious.     The  school  surroundings  are  attractive. 

Playground.     The  playground,   supplemented   as  it  is  by    Brittingham  and 


40  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

Vilas  Parks,  is  not  deficient,  but  greatly  needs  a  better  equipment  as  well  as 
supervision. 

Gymnasium.  A  small  room  in  the  basement  serves  inadequately  for  basket 
ball. 

Summer  Use.  The  playground  was  in  use  last  summer  and  two  supervisors 
were  provided,  one  man  and  one  woman. 

Evening  Use.  Considerable  use  was  made  of  this  school  in  evenings  by  chil- 
dren and  a  little  by  adults.  Extensive  adult  use  is  to  be  desired.  The  buildings 
are  in  many  ways  poorly  adapted  for  the  evening  uses. 


RANDALL  SCHOOL 

Location.  For  the  present  the  location  of  the  school  cannot  be  objected  to, 
although  81%  of  the  area  of  the  district  is  more  than  a  quarter  mile  away.  Some 
redistricting  may  be  expected,  when  the  district  is  more  closely  built  up  (present 
population  per  acre,  3).     The  school  surroundings  are  excellent. 

Playground.     The  size  of  the  playground  is  sufficient,  but  grading  and  a  better 
surface  are  needed  greatly.     Directed  play  is  needed. 

Gymnasium.  The  school  has  an  excellent  gymnasium  and  showers,  but  no 
gymnastic  equipment  except  for  basket  ball. 

Summer  Use.  Supervision  was  not  afforded  during  last  summer.  The  need 
is  undoubtedly  less  in  this  district  owing  to  the  excellent  opportunities  for  play 
elsewhere,  and  to  the  great  distance  from  homes  to  playground. 

Evening  Use.  The  school  is  well  equipped  and  was  much  used  by  children  and 
adult  groups  in  the  evenings,  but  there  was  little  adequate  supervision. 


HAWTHORNE  (NEW  IRVING)   SCHOOL 

Location.  The  district  includes  12%  of  the  city's  children,  considerably  over 
half  of  them  living  over  a  quarter  mile  from  school,  many  living  over  a  half  mile 
rom  school.  For  the  present  this  situation  may  be  considered  necessary  owing  to 
the  sparseness  of  the  population  (3  per  acre). 

Gymnasium.     The  new  building  provides  an  adequate  gymnasium. 

Summer  Use.  Summer  supervision  and  directed  play  would  be  desirable  in 
this  field. 

Evening  Use.  Although  the  schoolhouse  was  not  used,  the  Community  Club 
building  was  used  last  year  in  evenings  and  Sundays  by  children  and  adults. 


RECOMMENDATIONS 

It  is  recommended: 

(1)  That  the  following  playgrounds  be  expanded  by  the  addition  of  at  least 
the  number  of  square  feet  here  indicated  so  that  they  may  meet  the  immediate 
minimum  requirements  for  their  districts: 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  41 

Washington  School 60,000 

Brayton  School 16,620 

Draper  School 37,920 

Irving  School  (New  Harvey) 23,340 

Hawthorne  School  (New  Irving) 41,750 

(2)  That  gravel  or  equally  usable  surfaces  be  provided  for  all  schools. 

(3)  That  these  playgrounds  be  graded:  Washington  School,  Lincoln  School, 
Doty  School,  Draper  School,  Irving  (new  Harvey)  School,  Randall  School,  and 
Hawthorne  (new  Irving)  School. 

(4)  That  modern  and  adequate  equipment  be  provided  for  each  school  play- 
ground. 

(5)  That  some  arrangement  be  made  in  every  district  to  afford  gymnasium 
work  for  school  children  and  as  rapidly  as  is  possible  modern  school  gymnasiums 
provided. 

(6)  That  each  school  playground  and  gymnasium  be  put  under  a  director  or 
special  teacher  under  the  general  supervision  of  the  director  of  physical  education 
of  the  school  system. 

(7)  That  the  school  buildings  be  opened  and  specially  equipped  for  evening 
social  and  educational  uses  of  children  and  adults  and  that  a  school  official  be  em- 
ployed to  organize  and  superintend  evening  activities. 


CHAPTER  V 

PRIVATE,  PHILANTHROPIC  AND  SOCIAL 
ORGANIZATIONS* 

Under  the  title  of  Private,  Philanthropic  and  Social  Organiza- 
General  Nature  tions  are  included  such  associations  as  the  Gisholt  Club,  Madison 
of  the  Study  of       Turnverein,  Madison  Club,  Churches,  Masons,  Elks,  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

and  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  baseball  and  basketball  teams,  etc. 

The  purpose  of  this  section  of  the  reports  is  threefold:  (i)  To  show 
Its  Purpose     the  nature  and  the  extent  of  the  recreation  offered  by  these  various 

organizations.  (2)  To  determine  what  forms  of  organization,  what 
kinds  of  recreational  facilities  and  what  methods  of  operation  have  been  most  suc- 
cessfully employed.  (3)  To  make  suggestions  and  recommendations  as  to  methods 
and  needs  relating  specifically  to  organizations  or  applied  to  the  organizations  as 
part  of  the  whole  recreational  field. 

Officers  of  152  organizations  were  interviewed;  officers  of  38  others,  not 
Extent      interviewed  in  person,  were  reached  through  the  mails,  making  a  total  of 
190  canvassed  in  this  study. 

Only  two  organizations  refused  to  make  an  effort  to  secure  information. 

Response     (1)  Number  of  organizations  whose  officers  gave  full  reports,  148;  (2) 

Number  giving  partial  reports,  4;  (3)  Number  failing  to  respond  in  any 

way,  32;  (4)  Number  having  disbanded,  6;  total  organizations,  190. 

Each  organization  was  visited  and  the  officers  interviewed  for  information  as 
to  their  physical  equipment,  manner  of  support,  number  of  members,  purposes  and 
natures  of  efforts,  employment  of  trained  recreational  leader,  meetings,  etc.,  etc. 
In  addition  to  the  tabulation  of  questionnaires,  the  committee  met  frequently  and 
discussed  results,  then  again  visited  the  institutions  in  question.  Records  of  organ- 
izations were  called  for  and  these  used  to  clear  up  points  of  doubt.  To  insure  clear- 
ness of  presentation,  a  classification  was  made,  based  more  upon  the  practical  expe- 
diency of  obtaining  the  facts  than  upon  any  scientific  grouping  from  the  recrea- 
tional viewpoint. 

It  will  be  observed  that  some  organizations  fostered  by  and  confined  to  the 
members  of  a  given  type  of  organization  are  listed  in  another  division.  For  ex- 
ample, the  Knights  of  Columbus  will  appear  in  the  Fraternal  Group,  not  the 
Church  Group. 

*Prepared  under  the  direction  of  E.  W.  Balkeman  and  Henry  Barnbrock  with  52  per- 
sons devoting  a  great  deal  of  time  and  energy  during  a  period  of  three  months. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  43 

The  following  classification  was  used: 

Number. 

1.  Social  and  Recreation  Clubs 7 

2.  Churches 33 

3.  Fraternal  and  Insurance  Organizations 46 

4.  Labor  Unions 18 

5.  Philanthropic    Organizations 7 

6.  Literary,  Musical,  Patriotic  and  Miscellaneous...  33 

Total 143 

SOCIAL  AND  RECREATIONAL  CLUBS 

Gisholt  Club:     Membership,  450. 

I.  Equipment:  Small  gymnasium  and  club  room,  dining  hall,  clay  pigeon 
trap,  and  rifle  gallery.  The  building  is  owned  by  the  company  operating  the  fac- 
tory and  the  equipment  by  the  club. 

II.  Activities:  Activities  vary  with  the  conditions  of  the  business  in  the 
factory.  During  the  past  year  activities  included  twelve  dances,  four  minstrel  or 
vaudeville  shows,  several  musical  programs,  baseball,  basketball,  bowling  games, 
wrestling,  boxing,  and  shooting  matches.  An  annual  picnic  was  -attended  by  about 
2500  people. 

III.  Observations:  This  club  is  the  only  enterprise  reported  as  attempting 
to  supply  definite  recreational  activity  for  the  factory  employees. 

The  Madison  Turnverein:     Membership,  150. 

I.  Equipment:  A  gymnasium  with  a  fair  amount  of  apparatus,  two  showers, 
four  small  rooms,  and  one  large  one  with  a  stage. 

II.  Activities:  During  the  past  year  432  gymnasium  classes  for  men, 
women,  boys  and  girls  were  conducted  with  a  total  attendance  of  16,344.  Also 
seven  outings  with  an  approximate  attendance  of  300,  18  suppers  with  a  total  at- 
tendance of  350,  2  dances  with  approximately  100  in  attendance  were  held. 
Fifteen  men  were  enrolled  in  bowling  matches  every  two  weeks.  The  hall  was 
rented  to  outside  parties  for  one  walking  and  six  boxing   matches. 

III.  Observations.  This  club  is  one  of  the  two  organizations  in  the  city 
reported  as  having  a  paid  director.  The  gymnasium  is  not  now  used  to  its  maxi- 
mum.    A  pool  would  increase  the  effectiveness  of  the  work. 

IV.  Suggestions.  This  club  has  a  constructive  program.  The  director  has 
a  vision,  and  is  making  good  use  of  the  facilities  at  hand.  Any  recreation  com- 
mittee will  do  well  to  study  carefully  the  history  of  this  organization. 

The  Madison  and  University  Clubs:     Membership  total  of  747. 

I.  Equipment:  Each  club  house  supplies  lounging  rooms,  reading  rooms, 
dormitories  for  part  of  the  membership  and  for  guests  of  the  membership,  restau- 
rants, billiard  and  pool  tables,  etc. 


44  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

II.  Activities:  Banquets,  billiard  tournaments,  dances,  card  parties, 
musical  and  literary  programs,  etc.,  are  frequent. 

III.  Observations:     No  provisions  for  outdoor  recreation  are  made. 

Mendota  Yacht  Club:     202  members,  and 

Madison  Motor  Boat  Club:     41   members.     Total,  243    members. 

These  important  recreative  organizations  provide  rare  opportunity  through 
ice  boating,  yacht  and  motor  boat  racing,  for  an  important  recreational  use  of  the 
lakes,  but  rather  highly  specialized  and  limited  in  extent  of  possible  active  partici- 
pation. Owing  to  the  necessity  of  certain  large  expenditures  and  the  need  of  cer- 
tain skill,  the  number  indulging  in  this  line  of  recreation  must  always  be  very 
small. 

Olympic  Club:     82  members. 

I.  Equipment:  Four  small  rooms  and  one  spacious  hall  are  provided  with 
chairs,  card  tables,  a  piano  and  a  victrola. 

II.  Activities.  Dances,  banquets,  card  parties,  bowling,  basketball  and 
outings  are  included. 

III.  Observations:  The  membership  is  composed  of  young  men.  Social 
functions  nourish,  but  athletic  features  are  not  emphasized.  The  erection  of  a 
club  house  is  anticipated. 

CHURCHES 


Church  Organizations  Surveyed — 33 


* 


First  Baptist.  Roman  Catholic — Holy  Redeemer,  St.  Bernard,  St.  James, 
St.  Patrick's,  St.  Raphael's.  Congregational — First,  Pilgrim,  Plymouth.  Epis- 
copal— Grace,  Emmanuel's.  Evangelical  Association.  Angudas  Achin  Aushy 
Synagogue.  Lutheran — Bethany  Evangelical,  Bethel  (Norwegian),  Bethel  Lu- 
theran Chapel,  English  Lutheran,  German  Lutheran  Zion,  Immanuel  Lutheran, 
Our  Saviour's  Lutheran,  St.  John's  German,  Swedish  Lutheran,  Trinity  Lutheran. 
Methodist — African,  First,  German,  Trousdale,  People's  Church  of  South  Madi- 
son. Presbyterian — St.  Paul's.  Scientist — First  Church  of  Christ.  Seventh- 
Day  Adventist  Society.     First  Unitarian  Society. 

Observations 

1.  The  Survey  reveals  a  conscious  effort  to  advance  the  interests  of  the 
organization  by  means  of  the  social  and  recreational  features. 

2.  A  general  appreciation  of  the  need  of  gymnasiums  and  game  rooms  for 
boys. 

3.  Prevalence  of  the  idea  that  the  municipality  as  such  might  provide  com- 
munity centers  available  to  all  organizations,  including  church  groups. 

*The  Catholic   and   Methodist   University  churches   are  omitted  as    are   University 
organizations  from  other  sections  of  this  report. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  45 

4.  The  expense  of  up-keep  imposes  upon  every  movement  to  provide  recrea- 
tion the  necessity  of  exacting  a  fee.     This  fee  tends  to  become  prohibitory. 

5.  The  need  of  trained  leaders  in  recreation  is  appreciated  by  many  of  the 
churchmen,  but  at  present  no  church  in  the  city  makes  an  appropriation  for  the 
salary  of  such  a  man. 

6.  Though  some  churches  have  a  multiplicity  of  organizations  and  a  wide 
range  of  activities,  few,  if  any,  accurate  records  of  the  work  from  year  to  year  are 
being  preserved.     A  constructive  program  may  therefore  be  said  to  be  lacking. 

7.  Effort  is  being  made  to  stimulate  inter-church  recreation  and  a  combina- 
tion for  the  joint  use  and  support  of  gymnasiums  and  game  rooms  is  being  perfected 
through  the  several  Sunday-school  leagues  of  the  city. 


Social  Activities 

Number  of  churches  surveyed .  33A 

Membership 15454 

Social  Activities.                     No.  per  Annum.  Aggregate 

Attendance. 

Card  parties 15  3°75 

Cooking  Club 12  120 

Dances 8  720 

Entertainments 82  l^S7S 

Gymnasium  Classes 100  3800 

Outings 139  1 1336 

Smokers 4  140 

Socials  and  Receptions 881  42820 

Suppers  and  Banquets 75  8335 

Teas 80  800 


Totals 1398  87721s 

Estimated    value    as     amusement #21,930 

Average  number  of  social  functions  per  member 6 

Churches  with  baseball  teams 6 

Churches  with  basketball  teams J8 

Churches  with  bowling  teams 2 


(a)  One  large  church  having  no  social  activities  withholds    a    statement  concerning 
church  membership. 

(b)  The  aggregate  figures  are  low  due  to  the  fact  that  church  records  of   social   and 
recreative  activities  are  poorly  kept. 


46  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

Special  Equipment  for  Recreation 

Number  of 
Equipment.  Churches. 

Gymnasium 4 

Shower  Baths 3 

Pool  and  Billiards 2 

Playground IA 

Lawn  Tennis 1 

Moving  Picture  Lantern 1 

Paid  Directors o 

No  Equipment 4B 

The  extent  of  recreation  in  the  church  groups  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain. 
One  church  reports  over  175  families,  but  makes  no  distinction  between  adults  and 
children.  This  church  comprehends  three  lodges  and  maintains  a  large  social  room 
used  daily.  Dances,  parties,  lectures,  musical  programs  and  games  of  athletic 
nature  are  frequently  held.  Yet  we  have  no  way  of  determining  how  many  dif- 
ferent children  are  accommodated  nor  how  many  children  are  counted  more 
than  once. 

A  church  of  over  800  members  reports  seventeen  organizations.  One  of  the 
seventeen  is  a  Sunday-school  with  nearly  400  members,  yet  we  cannot  determine 
how  many  of  these  are  included  in  the  membership  given  as  800.  No  doubt  many 
children  in  excess  of  the  church  membership  receive  the  benefit  of  the  social  and 
recreative  occasions.     In  this  church  record  is  kept  relative  to  a  class  of  youths  and 

another  of  adults,  but  beyond  this  there  is  to  be  found  no 
Recreation  Function  record  of  activities  for  any  one  of  the  thirty  children's 
Not  Recorded  classes.      No  doubt  there  are  being  carried  forward  scores 

of  social  and  recreative  activities  of  the  churches  which 
are  not  made  a  matter  of  record.    It  may  be  observed  that  a  very  definite  policy 

on  the  part  of  the  churches  comes  to  the  surface  just  here. 
Recreation  Policies  Believing  that  Christianity  is  a  motive  for  altruistic 
Should  Be  Handled  activity  in  various  lines,  churches  plant  religious  devotion 
Carefully  and  expect  it  to  flower   in  wholesome    activity.       Recrea- 

tion is  to  them  an  incident.  It  is  therefore  thought  as 
a  by-product  in  church  life. 

It  remains  for  some  agent  concerned  with  recreation  as  such  to  take  this  element 
which  the  churches  think  of  as  secondary  and  study  it  critically  in  order  to  deter- 
mine how  recreation  in  the  churches  may  become  correlated  with  the  recreational 
problem  of  the  whole  city.  One  of  the  possible  dangers,  however,  in  establishing  a 
system  by  which  the  recreation  elements  of  the  churches  shall  be  directed  is  loss  of 
spontaneity.  A  director  of  recreation  seems  to  be  needed  to  correlate  the  activities 
and  to  make  them  accommodate  the  largest  possible  number  with  the  least  possible 
expense  of  time  and  energy.     This  correlation  should  increase  the  effectiveness  of 

(a)  Playground  has  no  equipment. 

(b)  Churches  meet  in  homes  or  rented  halls. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY.  47 

all  recreation.  However,  if  the  element  of  personal  initiative  be  lessened  in  the 
process  and  spontaneity  be  sacrificed  to  system,  recreation  may  lose  its  recreation 
power.  Any  play  committee  must  face  this  possible  danger  of  defeating  its  own 
purpose. 

It  is  recommended  that  some  correlating  agent  be  supplied;  that  adequate 
records  be  encouraged;  that  the  value  of  a  constructive  program  extending  through- 
out the  year  be  sought;  that  organizations  of  similar  type  be  federated  as  for  example 
Sunday-school  teams;  that  frequent  conferences  be  held  by  the  recreation  director 
with  church  leaders  for  the  purpose  of  creating  an  appreciation  of  the  values  of  re- 
creation as  a  moral  and  spiritual  factor  in  the  community  and  therefore  a  co-partner 
with  the  other  constructive  agents. 

FRATERNAL  AND  INSURANCE  ORGANIZATIONS 

Number  of  Organizations  Surveyed  46* 

Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians;  Banyan  Camp  of  Modern  Woodmen;  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks;  Black  Hawk  Tent  No.  59,  K.  O.  T.  M.;  Caledonian 
Society,  Camp  No.  1  of  the  Defenders;  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters,  Holy  Redeemer 
Court,  2  lodges;  St.  James  Court,  2  lodges;  St.  Joseph's  Court,  1  lodge;  Court  Wis- 
consin, No.  928  Foresters;  Four  Lakes  Council  Royal  Arcanum;  Fraternal  Aid 
Union;  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles;  Iduna  Lodge,  Sons  of  Norway;  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  3  lodges;  Independent  Camp  of  Royal  Neighbors  of  America; 
Knights  of  Columbus;  Knights  of  Wisconsin,  St.  James'  Branch;  Knights  of  Wis- 
consin, Holy  Redeemer  Branch;  Lake  City  Camp  Loyal  Order  of  Moose;  Royal 
Neighbors;  Madison  Firemen's  Relief  Association;  Madison  Assembly  Loyal  Ameri" 
cans;  Masonic  Lodges  (8  organizations);  Monona  Chapter,  O.  E.  S.;  Knights  of 
Pythias,  2  organizations;  St.  Michael's  Benevolent  Society;  St.  Mary's  Sodality;  St. 
Raphael's  Court  No.  118;  The  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees  of  the  World;  Tribe  of  Ben 
Hur;  Woodmen  of  the  World,  3  lodges. 

t  Social  Activities 

Number  of  organizations  surveyed,  46.     Membership,  8614. 

Number  Aggregate 

Social  Activities.                    Per  Year.  Attendance. 

Card  Parties 98  5650 

Dances 106  16410 

Entertainments. .  / ' 105  1 1825 

Outings 22  5975 

Smokers 53  2300 

Socials 217  1 7766 

Suppers  and  Banquets 76  I25^5 


A 


Total 677  7261 1 

*Fraternal  orders  among  students  omitted. 

(a)     Does  not  include  attendance  at  club  houses  and   rooms   which  aggregate  about 
125,000  yearly,  exclusive  of  special  social  activities. 


48  •  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

Organizations  having  baseball  teams  .  .      3  

Organizations  having  basketball 2  

Organizations  having  bowling 4  

Value  as  amusement  (estimated) $18,153 

Average  number  of  social  functions  per 

year  per  member 8  


Observations 

The  conspicuous  factor  in  the  fraternal  order  group  is  the  existence  of  equip- 
ment. Large  club  houses  or  adequate  rooms  greatly  aid  them  in  social  activity. 
The  Elks,  Masons,  Knights  and  Moose  are  examples. 

Certain  officers  have  referred  to  the  spirit  of  co-operation  between  fraternal 
orders  and  suggested  that  co-operation  might  make  possible  further  equipemnt. 


LABOR  ORGANIZATIONS 

Number  of  organizations  responding  to  survey,  18. 

Amalgamated  Association  of  Street  and  Electric  Railway  Employees;  Barbers; 
Brotherhood  of  Firemen;  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers;  Auxiliary,  Brother- 
hood of  Railway  Trainmen;  Carpenter's  Union;  Cigar  Makers'  Union;  Hod  Carriers; 
International  Brotherhood  of  Electrical  Workers;  International  Moulders'  Union; 
Machinists;  Madison  Federation  of  Labor;  Mason's  and  Bricklayer's  Union; 
Painters'  and  Decorators'  Union;  Steamfitters'  Union;  Teamsters'  Union;  Typo- 
graphical Union. 

LABOR  UNIONS 

Social  ActivitiesA 

Number  of  organizations  surveyed,   19.     Membership,   1586. 

Number  Aggregate 

Social  Activities  Per  Year.  Attendance. 

Card  Parties 3  72 

Dances 5  1 280 

Total 8  1352 

Value  as  amusement  (estimated) $338 

Number  of  unions  providing  baseball 1 

Number  of  unions  having  bowling I 

Average  number  of  social  functions  per 

year  per  member I 


(a)     An  annual  labor  day  picnic  is  held  by  the  unions  but  no   satisfactory    data  could 
be  secured. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  49 

Observations 

Twenty  of  the  thirty-five  labor  organizations  co-operated  in  the  survey.  The 
report  reveals  a  striking  lack  of  social  activity  and  absolute  lack  of  equipment  for 
the  recreation  of  their  members. 

Rapid  change  of  membership  and  lack  of  funds,  together  with  the  industrial 
(or  bargaining)  purpose  of  these  organizations  seem  to  make  for  a  dearth  of  whole- 
some amusement.  Members  are  interested  in  the  survey.  Unions,  as  such,  have 
taken  no  part,  as  yet,  in  the  movement  to  develop  recreation  in  the  city. 

LITERARY,    MUSICAL,   PATRIOTIC   AND    MISCELLANEOUS    ORGANIZA- 
TIONS 

Number  of  organizations  surveyed,  33*. 

Buech's  Orchestra;  Co.  G.  Wisconsin  National  Guard;  Camp  Randall  Memorial 
Association;  Dane  County  Relief  Committee;  Dane  County  Soldiers'  Memorial 
Association;  Daughters  of  American  Revolution;  Gudrid  Reading  Circle;  Guenther's 
Sextette  Orchestra;  Henry  Harnden  Camp  No.  2,  Sons  of  Veterans;  H.  U.Quent- 
meyer  Camp  No.  10;  Spanish  War  Veterans;  H.  U.  Quentmeyer  Auxiliary  No.  8; 
Imperial  Orchestra;  International  Order  of  Good  Templars;  Lucius  Fairchild  Post 
No.  11,  G.  A.  R.;  Lucius  Fairchild  Women's  Relief  Corps;  Madison  Choral  Union; 
Madison  Horticultural  Society;  Madison  Literary  Club;  Madison  Mannerchor; 
Madison  Real  Estate  Board;  Madison  Skat  Club;  Madison  Women's  Club;  St. 
Michael's  Singing  Society;  Scherer's  First  Regiment  Band;  Scherer's  Orchestra; 
Social  Democratic  Party;  Thompson's  Orchestra;  Three  Links  Club;  University  of 
Wisconsin  Collegiate  Alumnae;  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union;  Wimo- 
danghsis  Club;  Ygdrasil  Literary  Society. 


A 


Social  Activities 

Number  of  organizations  surveyed,  32.       Membership,  2642. 

Number  Aggregate 

Social  Activities.               Per  Year.  Attendance. 

Card  Parties 29  1054 

Dances 3  360 

Entertainments 117  11940 

Outings 9  500 

Smokers 12  345 

Socials 152  9881 

Suppers  and  Banquets 38  2305 

Literary  Programs 74  47^o 

Total 434  3II45 

*Catholic  Women's  Club  with  membership  of  345  (not  included  in  Survey  because  of 
recent  organization).     University  faculty  and  student  clubs  are  omitted. 

(a)     There  is  no  special  recreational    equipment.     Camp   Randall    (G.  A.  R.)   is  used 
occasionally.     Parks  used  in  summer. 
5— R.  S. 


So  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

Value   as   amusement    (estimated) #7786 

Average  yearly  number  of  functions 

per  member 12 

Number  of  paid    directors o 

Observations 

Organizations  vary  widely,  accommodating  many  types  of  people.  Many 
organizations  listed  elsewhere  have  literary  features.  In  the  thirty-two  here 
grouped  there  is  a  conspicuous  lack  of  equipment.  Camp  Randall  accommodated 
for  the  patriotic  groups  something  over  20,000  people  last  year,  and  the  parks 
offered  facilities  for  various  gatherings  initiated  by  these  agencies. 

A  number  of  "fatigued"  organizations,  according  to  function  falling  naturally 
within  this  group,  came  to  the  attention  of  the  committee.  Some  of  these  having 
elected  officers  recently,  may  soon  be  revived.  However,  many  short-lived 
organizations  are  born  each  year. 


PHILANTHROPIC  ORGANIZATIONS 

Organizations  surveyed,  7.* 

Buia  Brith,  King  David  Chapter;  The  Consumer's  League;  Madison  Humane 

Society;  Madison  General  Hospital  Association;  Volunteers  of  America;  City  Y. 
W.  C.  A.;  Queen  Esther  Circle. 

Social  ActivitiesA 

Number  of  organizations  surveyed,  7.     Membership,  1144. 

Number  r     Aggregate 

Social  Activities.  Per  Year.  Attendance. 

Dances 1  100 

Outings 15  2335 

Socials 32  l838 

Suppers  and  Banquets 3  I5°° 

Total 51  5773 

Value  as  amusement    (estimated) ^443 

Average    (yearly)    number   of  social 

functions  per  member 5 

Organizations  offering  basketball 1 

Organizations  providing  summer  camps  .  .  I 

Paid  directors 2 


^University  Y.  M.  C  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  omitted  as  are  other  student  institutions. 
(a)     Y.  W.  C.  A.  has  rest,  reading,  and  assembly    rooms  and   kitchen.     Organization 
lacks  equipment. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  51 

Observations 

The  dance  indicated  was  a  charity  ball  given  by  the  Jewish  Society.  The 
Attic  Angels  were  overlooked  in  the  survey. 

Outings:  Picnics,  hikes,  lawn  socials,  boat  parties,  etc.,  given  for  dependent 
families  and  household  employees. 

Attendance  runs  beyond  membership  and  records  are  not   available. 

It  is  not  possible  to  determine  the  overlapping  and  duplicating. 

With  proper  co-ordination  under  a  general  committee  interested  in  the  whole 
recreation  problem  of  Madison,  the  work  of  these  various  organizations  along 
recreation  lines  could  be  made  very  valuable  in  a  general  recreation  scheme. 


CHAPTER  VI 
COMMERCIAL  RECREATION 


MOTION  PICTURES 

The  rapid  growth  in  the  popularity  and  the  enormous  ad- 
Motion  Pictures  as  a  vance  in  the  production  of  the  motion  picture  is  proof  that 
Form  of  Recreation        motion  pictures  satisfy  a  certain  recreational  need.     As  is 

natural  with  any  rapidly  growing  business,  certain  evils 
have  grown  up  with  it  which  are  not  integral  parts  of  it  and  with  proper  attention 
can  be  eliminated  very  easily.  It  is  claimed  for  the  motion  picture  as  a  recrea- 
tional institution  (i)  that  it  has  substituted  good  recreation — not  always  above 
criticism,  to  be  sure — for  many  less  desirable  forms,  (2)  that  it  has  encouraged  a 
very  economical  manner  of  enjoying  an  evening,  and  (3)  that  it  has  tended  to  draw 
families  together  by  giving  them  a  common  interest  and  method  of  spending  many 
hours  together.     No  one  can  take  issue  with  these  claims. 

A  careful  investigation  was  made  of  all  the  movie  theaters  in  Madi- 
Method  of  son,  the  five  downtown  theaters  and  the  seven  community  theaters, 
Study  i.  e.,  those  serving  the  needs  of  a  certain  residence  section  of  the  city. 

The  study  was  made  with  an  effort  to  obtain  reliable  information  as 
to  (1)  the  nature  of  the  audience,  (2)  value  and  influence  of  the  film  stories,  (3)  the 
mechanical  details  of  construction,  lighting,  projection,  etc.,  of  the  buildings  used 
as  theaters.  With  this  body  of  information  as  a  basis,  certain  conclusions  and 
suggestions  could  be  made.  The  facts  were  obtained  during  the  months  of  Octo- 
ber, November  and  December.  The  weather,  a  factor  possibly  influencing  at" 
tendance,  was  almost  uniformly  pleasant,  though  part  of  the  time  extremely  cold. 

I — Size  and  Nature  of  Audiences 

The  most  conservative  estimate  that  could  be  obtained  as  to  the 
Average  average  daily  attendance  at  motion  picture  houses  was  found  to  b< 

Attendance      4,000  persons  for  week  days,  and  7,000  persons  for  Sunday,  with  an 
Per  Week        average   weekly    attendance   of  31,000   persons.     This    attendance, 

when  one  takes  into  consideration  the  fact  that  Madison  has  a  popu- 
lation of  approximately  35,000,  including  university  students,  indicates  that  at- 
tendance at  movies  is  an  extremely  popular  form  of  amusement.     The  productior 
of  a  good  many  motion  pictures  of  an  unusually  high  order  attracts  people  of  a  type 
who  do  not  ordinarily  attend  the  movies.     This  helps  swell  the  total   attendance 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  53 

The  variations  in  the  make-up  of  the  audiences  are  due  to  a  num- 
How  Audiences  ber  of  factors,  such  as  (A)  the  day  of  the  week  and  the  time  of  the 
Vary  day,  (B)  the  location  of  the  theater,  (C)  the  character  of  the  pic- 

tures, (D)  the  price  of  the  admission.  Under  each  factor  will  be 
noted  the  following  elements,  when  of  significance;  the  proportion  of  men  to  women, 
the  percentage  of  children,  the  percentage  of  children  accompanied  by  elders,  pro- 
portion of  boys  to  girls,  and  number  of  infants  accompanied  by  elders  among  those 
children,  number  of  family  groups  noted,  and  social  classes. 

As  a  basis  for  considering  the  specific  conditions,  a  general  average 
Proportions  in  of  the  whole  city  was  taken  from  all  reports  received.  It  was 
Total  Reports  found  that  44.7%  of  the  total,  or  4,665  persons  reported  as  at- 
tending the  movies,  were  men,  34.4%  were  women,  and  20.9% 
were  children  under  17  years  of  age.  Of  the  children,  28.4%  were  accompanied  by 
elders,  3.5%  of  all  the  children  were  infants,  54.9%  were  boys,  and  41.6%  were 
girls.  The  percentage  of  attendance  of  children  at  movies  in  many  cities  has  been 
estimated  at  about  20r^,  thus  indicating  that  Madison  is  not  exceptional  in  the 
number  of  children  attending.  The  proportion  of  men  to  women  attending  is 
4  to  3.     The  same  ratio,  4  to  3,  is  the  proportion  of  boys  to  girls. 


A — Audiences  as  Influenced  by  Time 

Sunday  differs  from  week  days  not  only  in  the  greater  number  of 
Sunday  persons  attending  movies  then,  but  also  in  the  kind  of  audiences.     To 

Attendance      bring  out  these  differences,  Sunday  attendance  is  compared  with  the 

total  week's  attendance.  The  percentage  of  children  on  Sunday  is 
only  slightly  larger  than  that  of  the  total  week,  21.4%  as  against  20.9%.  A  much 
smaller  percentage  (14.5%)  of  the  children  is  accompanied  by  elders,  and  a  smaller 
percentage  of  family  groups  was  noted,  a  ratio  of  I  to  6  on  Sunday  instead  of  2  to  5 
on  total  week.  These-Sunday  figures  indicate  a  much  higher  percentage  of  men, 
the  ratio  being  2  men  to  I  woman  instead  of  4  to  3.  Also  it  is  interesting  to  note 
that  the  ratio  of  boys  to  girls  is  increased  to  3  to  2  instead  of  4  to  3.  The  possible 
explanation  of  the  increase  both  in  actual  number  and  in  percentage  of  the  men  and 
boys  as  compared  with  women  and  girls  is  that  the  men  and  some  of  the  older  boys 
who  are  fieed  from  the  work  of  the  week  avail  themselves  of  the  movies  as  a  means 
of  recreation  on  Sundays.  Apparently,  too,  the  children  are  given  a  little  freer 
hand  on  Sundays,  possibly  because  of  the  fact  that  most  of  the  children's  attendance 
comes  on  Sunday  afternoon. 

The  proportion  of  men,  women  and  children  in  audiences  on  week 
Attendance  on  days  differs  but  very  slightly  from  the  percentages  of  the  whole 
Week  Days  week.     The  proportion  of  children  is  practically  the  same  (21%); 

the  percentage  of  accompanied  children  (31.8)  is  somewhat 
larger,  more  than  twice  the  percentage  of  Sunday;  the  proportion  of  men  to  women 
is  almost  the  same,  1 1  to  9,  as  against  4  to  3  (12  to  9)  for  the  whole  week. 


54  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

The  time  of  the  day  is  an  important  factor  in  attendance.  Compari- 
Influence  of  sons  were  made  between  late  afternoon  and  all  evening.  In  the 
Time  of  Day  downtown  theaters  few,  and  very  often  no,  children  were  found  in 
attendance  after  nine  o'clock.  However,  in  the  theaters  not  situated 
near  the  Capitol  Park,  the  percentage  of  children,  including  infants,  did  not  de- 
crease considerably  even  up  to  the  time  of  closing,  at  ten  o'clock. 

Figures  were  obtained  as  to  late  afternoon  attendance  so  that  the 
Afternoon  school  children  were  included  in  every  report.  More  girls  were  re- 
Audiences  ported  than  boys,  contrary  to  the  total  week's  average  and  the  per- 
centage of  children  accompanied  by  elders  (12.4%)  was  a  great  deal 
smaller  than  the  week's  average  (28.4%).  Of  course,  there  is  nothing  alarming  in 
children  going  to  movies  in  the  afternoon  unattended  by  elders.  Naturally,  too, 
more  boys  than  girls  would  attend  the  movies  in  the  evening  and  vice  versa  for  the 
afternoon.  The  character  of  the  afternoon  audiences  differs  in  other  ways  from  the 
evening  audiences.  On  week  day  afternoons  they  are  composed  of  a  high  per- 
centage of  well-dressed  women  and  but  few  well-dressed  men.  Again,  whereas  the 
total  week's  average  shows  a  ratio  of  4  men  to  3  women,  on  week  day  afcernoons,  the 
ratio  is  2  men  to  1  woman,  the  former  condition  probably  indicating  that  well- 
dressed  women  are  less  busy  than  the  men  of  the  same  type.  The  latter  condition, 
the  increase  in  the  ratio  of  men,  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  a  considerable  nu  mber 
of  workingmen  were  out  of  employment  during  the  time  the  observations  were 
made. 

The  ratio  of  attendance  of  men  to  women  in  the  evening  is  a  great  deal 
Evening  different  from  that  in  the  afternoon,  7  men  to  6  women.  In  the 
Audiences  evening  there  is  a  greater  number  of  family  groups  in  attendance  than 
in  the  afternoon  and  a  greater  number  of  children  are  accompanied  by 
their  elders,  about  33.5%  as  against  12.4%  in  the  afternoon.  This  contrast  is 
gratifying. 

As  a  result  of  this  part  of  the  study,  we  already  find  supporting 
Generalizations      testimony  to  the  claims  advanced  in  favor  of  the  motion  pictures 

as  a  recreational  institution.  Their  appeal  is  broad,  they  are 
patronized  by  the  well-to-do  as  well  as  the  working  classes.  They  are  a  substitute 
for  less  desirable  forms  of  activities,  offer  amusement  to  the  men  in  the  evening  and 
keep  them  from  saloons,  etc.,  attract  the  boys  in  large  numbers  and  keep  them  out 
of  mischief  during  the  evenings.  They  offer  a  relaxation  to  tired  mothers  who  can 
attend  with  their  babies.  Very  often  family  groups  attend  and  the  children  are 
under  parental  influence.  Then,  tco,  it  helps  to  fill  the  need  of  Sunday  recreation 
America's  play  day,  when,  in  most  cases,  custom  limits  the  range  of  activities. 

B. — Variation  of  Audience  Due  to  Location  of  Theater 

The  attendance  at  community  theaters,  i.  e.,  theaters  located  in 
Attendance  at  residence  districts,  is  36%  children,  27%  of  whom  are  accom- 
Community  panied  by  elders,  while  only  13%  of  the  attendance  at  downtown 

Theaters  theaters  consists  of  children,  30%  of  whom  are  accompanied  by 

elders.     Only  one  downtown  theater  may  be  said  to  be  popular 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


55 


with  children;  very  few  children  attend  the  others.  One  community  theatre  in  par- 
ticular shows  a  remarkable  proportion,  54.4%  of  children's  attendance.  Excluding 
this  one  theater,  the  proportion  of  children's  attendance  in  community  theatres  is 
reduced  from  36%  to  24%,  which  shows  how  extremely  popular  this  one  theater  is 
with  the  children.  Probably  the  explanation  for  this  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
only  theater  close  to  homes  in  a  densely  populated  district.  One  downtown  theater 
is  popular  with  children,  having  children  as  35%  of  its  audiences. 

The  other  theaters  have  the  nature  of  their  audiences  influenced 
by  their  locations.  One  is  located  in  the  Latin  Quarter  and  is 
well  patronized  by  University  students;  they  comprise  20%  of 
the  audience.  The  other,  located  in  the  Italian  district,  is  at- 
tended almost  exclusively  by  Italians.  This  same  theater  has 
a  slightly  larger  attendance  of  girls  than  of  boys. 


Theaters  in  Latin 
Quarter  and 
Italian  Section 


C. — Influence  of  Character  of  the  Pictures  on  Audiences 

In  some  cases  it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  proportion  of  influence 

Complexity  of  on  audiences  exercised  by  the  location  of  theaters  and  the  character 

Problem  of  their  pictures.     This  is  true  because  both  conditions  tend  toward 

the  same  effect,  that  of  attracting  a  large  proportion  of  children,  as 

is  the  case  with  the  two  theaters  in  the  Italian  district. 

Certain  types  of  pictures,  if  their  character  be  of  a  sensational  and 

Influence  of    cheap  comedy  nature,  are  shown  because  they  supply  a  demand  on 

Sensational     the  part  of  a  certain  kind  of  audience  and  again  these  same   kinds 

Pictures  of  pictures  may  be  the  means  of  determining  the  make-up    of  the 

audience. 

One  theater  showing  pictures  of  sensational  and  cheap    comedy 

Sensationalism    tendencies  has  a  high  percentage  of  children  in  attendance.    Part 

and  Children's      of  this  theater's  attraction  may  be  ascribed  to  the  low  price  of 

Attendance  admission,  but  we  may  safely  assume  that  this  class  of  pictures 

is  a  great  drawing  card. 

The  character  of  the  pictures  has  two  other  influences: 
Influence  of  Drama-  (1)  few  children  attend  features  such  as  dramatization 
tization  of  Novels         of  novels,  and  (2)  houses  producing  such  pictures  are  usually 

evaded  by  children. 


D. — Effect  of  Price  of  Admission 

The  five-cent  moving  picture  houses  constitute  the  community 
Community  houses  and  attract  a  higher  percentage  of  children  than  do  those 

Houses  charging  ten  cents  for  adults  and  five  cents  for  children,  excepting 

one  downtown  house  where  adults  pay  ten  cents.  The  houses 
charging  ten  cents  straight  and  those  charging  more  than  this  have  almost  no 
children  in  attendance. 


56  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

II. — Value  and  Influence  of  Film  Stories 

An  effort  was  made  in  the  survey  to  secure  reports  as  to  the 
Method  of  Study  nature  and  content  of  the  motion  picture  stories  in  specific  films 
from  people  of  very  different  points  of  view.  To  a  certain  ex- 
tent their  reports  represent  personal  impressions,  but  as  far  as  possible  no  opinions 
were  asked  for  but  definite  facts,  from  which  conclusions  might  be  easily  deduced. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  more  important  data  used  is  fact,  not  opinion. 

Managers  of  Madison  moving  picture  houses  are  to  be  congratu- 
Good  Influences     laced   upon  the  number  of  both  educational  and  inspiritional 

"features"  that  have  been  exhibited.  There  is  hardly  a  theater 
in  the  city  that  has  not  run  some  pictures  with  no  other  possible  benefit  to  itself 
than  obtaining  the  respect  of  the  average  citizen  who  occasionally  thinks  of  the 
moving  picture  3S  an  educational  influence. 

Out  of  no  film  stories,  18  were  educational,  24  stimulated  the 
Commendable  artistic  and  27  the  moral  sense,  while  25  were  inspirational  and  32 
Features  were  clean  fun.     Moral  lessons  were  preached  in  37  and  reform  in  2 

movie  dramas.  Of  course,  some  of  the  films  combined  various 
qualities,  but  a  total  of  68,  or  62%,  contained  features  that  were  distinctly  benefi- 
cial and  uplifting.  In  a  few  cases  these  qualities  were  partially  offset  by  the 
presence  of  objectionable  features  occurring  in  the  same  film.  One  can  see  great 
possibilities  of  good  in  the  motion  drama  if  objectionable  features  can  be  eliminated 
The  conclusions  to  be  drawn  from  the  analysis  of  the  character 
Objectionable  of  the  film  stories  are  not  as  favorable  as  they  might  be.  Whereas 
Features  Noted  68  of  the  films  contained  features  having  good  influences,  72  con- 
tained features  with  some  traces  of  bad  influences,  although  in 
extenuation  it  may  be  said  that  only  20  contained  features  that  could  have  a  de- 
cidedly bad  influence.  A  list  was  made  of  various  sensational  incidents  noted, 
which  includes  7  films  dealing  with  murder,  16  with  violent  death,  5  with  suicide, 
14  with  physical  peril,  13  with  shocking  injury.  The  conduct  of  10  characters  was 
classed  as  wicked  and  horrible,  and  13  were  guilty  of  immodest  conduct.  Thirteen 
plots  dealt  with  immorality  and  8  with  vulgar  incidents. 

The  films  were  also  classified  as  having  possibilities  of  influencing 
Film  Stories  conduct,  of  increasing  youthful  sophistication,  of  accustoming  the 
Setting  Bad  children  to  sights  of  vice  and  crime.  Seventeen  were  found  to 
Example  have  an  influence  as  examples  of  drinking,  9  as  examples  of  vulgar 

flirtation,  1  of  intoxication,  6  of  deception,  12  of  cigarette  smoking, 
18  of  use  of  weapons,  4  of  immorality,  4  of  gambling,  3  of  cruelty,  8  of  fighting,  and 
2  afforded  instructions  in  villany.  Instructions  in  villany  are  carefully  sought  out 
by  the  National  Board  of  Censorship,  but  two  instances  were  reported  notwith- 
standing. One  of  these  was  due  to  the  failure  of  the  producing  company  to  make 
an  alteration  ordered  by  the  Censorship  Board. 

No  one   can   any  more  doubt  the  evil  of  witnessing  crude,  sensa- 

Bad  Influences   tional  movie  dramas  than  of  reading  the  same  type  of  literature. 

It  is  degrading  to  the  finer  feelings  and  emotions  of  adults  to  wit- 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  57 

ness  dramatized  scenes  of  murder,  violent  fury,  vulgarity,  gambling,  immodesty, 
immorality,  intoxication,  cruelty,  jealousy,  and  all  the  degrading  and  vicious 
elements  of  human  nature,  and  how  much  more  so  to  children. 

The  cheap  comedy  films  are  the  chief  offenders  as  setting  bad 
Comedy  Films    examples  in  vice.     In  these,  for  instance,  scenes  in  saloons  are 
shown,  where  there  is  drinking,  smoking,  gambling,  brawling,  and 
vulgar  flirtation. 

Immorality  as  an  evil  influence  is  found  in  the  type  of  films  of 
White  Slave  which  "Three  Weeks"  is  an  example,  where  extenuating  cir- 

Traffic  Films  cumstances  are  pleaded  for  the  immorality  shown,  but  which 

makes  vice  attractive  and  does  not  bring  home  forcefully  the 
inevitably  evil  consequences  of  vice.  On  the  other  hand,  the  production  of  the  so- 
called  "white  slave  traffic"  subjects  may  possibly  have  a  good  influence.  There  is 
generally  nothing  improper  about  the  treatment  of  the  subject  and  usually  it  points 
a  moral  in  chat  it  shows  the  terrible  consequences  of  vice. 

The  objections  to  this  type  of  film  are  twofold:  (1)  that  these 
Objections  to  films  appeal  to  a  low  class  of  people  among  others,  who  revel 
These  Films  in  the  sensational  disclosures,  and  (2)  that  they  are  felt  by  some 

to  be  revolting,  disgusting,  and  highly  sensational  of  necessity. 
The  truth  of  these  contentions  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  a  large  number  of 
such  films  would  be  extremely  OBJECTIONABLE.  As  noted  before,  1 3  plots  deal 
with  immorality,  or  about  12%  of  the  total  films.  Too  much  attention  is  paid  to 
this  form  of  vice,  especially  when  we  realize  the  large  proportion  of  children  in  the 
audiences.  The  large  amount  of  this  kind  of  film  may  be  a  passing  incident  due  to 
the  present  interest  in  a  hitherto  tabooed  subject. 

III. — Condition  of  Buildings  and  Other  Considerations 

All  the  movie  houses  in  Madison  were  found  to  be  reasonably  san- 
Construction  and  itary  and  safe  as  regards  fire  risk.  No  unsuitable  structures  are 
Ventilation  used  as  theaters  and  in  no  case  has  the  management  been  found 

grossly  negligent.  Only  one  case  of  law  violation  was  noted, 
blocking  of  aisles,  and  that  has  been  remedied.  The  State  Building  Code  prepared 
by  the  Industrial  Commission  of  the  State,  will  insure  safe  conditions.  Several 
instances  of  occasional  poor  ventilation  have  been  noted,  which  should  be  remedied 
as  soon  as  possible. 

As  a  rule,  the  theaters  are  very  comfortably  heated,  only  one 
Heating,  Lighting  case  of  excessive  heat  being  reported.  A  number  of  instances 
and  Projection  of  insufficient   lighting  were  observed.     In   some   houses   a 

better  distribution  rather  than  a  greater  amount  of  light  is 
needed.  Mechanical  details  of  projection  were  found  to  be  nearly  perfect.  Several 
cases  of  temporarily  faint  projection,  one  case  of  a  creased  curtain,  two  cases  of  poor 
operation,  and  one  case  of  a  badly  worn  film  comprise  the  total  of  imperfect  pro- 
jection that  might  strain  the  eyes. 


58  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


Some  excellent  music  of  the  lighter  order  has  been  heard  at  the  motior 

Music       picture  houses.     Only  two  houses  need  to  give  music  more  attention. 

One  of  these  could  easily  provide  much  better  music.     No  very  pool 

music  should  be  tolerated,  and  both  of  the  houses  referred  to  have  occasionally 

furnished  very  poor  music. 

All  the  houses  were  found  to  be  orderly  and  quiet,  with  a  very  few  except- 

Order     ions  of  no  significance  where  children  were    the    offenders.     No    police 

supervision  is  needed  for  moving  picture  houses. 

Suggested  Directions  of  Improvement 

We  find  little  justification  for  a  general  condemnation  of  moving  pic- 
Value  of  tures.  They  deserve  the  place  they  have  taken  as  a  form  of  amusement. 
Movies         There   are,   however,   certain   lines   of  improvement   that   should    be 

continued  and  other  which  can  be  indicated. 

I.  One  means  of  securing  a  better  class  of  films  is  by  supporting  the  efforts  of 
the  National  Board  of  Censorship.  The  Board  works  through  the  voluntary  co- 
operation of  the  producers,  censoring  only  from  the  point  of  view  of  adult  audiences 
almost  all  the  pictures  released  in  this  country.  The  exhibitor  should  not  show 
uncensored  pictures  even  if  they  be  of  an  unobjectionable  nature,  if  it  is  possible  to 
avoid  so  doing.  Uncensored  pictures  must  be  looked  upon  with  suspicion  by  the 
public.  But  there  are  three  decided  limitations  upon  the  work  of  the  national  cen- 
sors: (i)  It  is  not  calculated  to  eliminate  pictures  unsuitable  for  children;  the 
Board  makes  no  pretense  of  doing  so,  but  favors  further  action  by  localities  for 
censorship  or  special  theaters  for  children.  (2)  The  alterations  ordered  by  the 
National  Board  are  not  always  made.  (3)  Certain  pictures  are  in  circulation 
which  have  not  been  censored.  How  to  overcome  these  limitations  is  a  problem 
deserving  attention. 

II.  The  exhibitor  generally  selects  personally  only  a  few  films  of  the  type 
called  "features."  The  "program,"  or  general  run  of  films,  is  ordinarily  sent  by  the 
exchange  without  special  arrangement.  It  is  important  for  every  exhibitor  to 
realize  his  responsibility  so  far  as  he  selects  films  or  influences  the  program  sent  him 
by  general  requests.  It  has  appeared  that  in  Madison  the  cheaper  program  films 
have  been  more  likely  to  contain  objectionable  elements  than  the  features  selected 
by  exhibitors.  The  features  are  generally  betcer  productions.  For  these  reasons 
the  features  should  be  encouraged.  Inasmuch  as  they  are  more  expensive,  a  higher 
admission  price  is  necessary  when  features  are  run.  Exhibitors,  on  the  other  hand, 
should  not  feel  that  they  have  no  responsibilities  for  their  cheaper  program. 

III.  Children's  days  and  children's  theaters  have  been  suggested  as  means  of 
solving  the  question  of  programs  for  children.  The  exhibitor  would  be  expected  to 
select  films  suitable  for  children  so  far  as  possible.     The  idea  deserves  support. 

IV.  There  is  also  clearly  a  need  for  more  extensive  exclusion  of  children  from 
programs  suitable  only  for  adults. 

V.  Theater  managers  should  be  advised  to  help  in  enforcing  the  nine  o'clock 
curfew  law  in  regard  to  children. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  59 

VI.  All  problems  in  the  improvement  of  motion  pictures  deserve  careful  con- 
sideration by  well  informed  social  agencies.  Any  plan  of  action  desired  certainly 
should  be  presented  to  the  local  exhibitors  for  their  suggestions. 

VII.  Finally,  it  is  necessary  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  whether  good  or 
bad  pictures  are  presented  is  largely  determined  by  whether  good  or  bad  are  de- 
manded.    The  public  must  see  to  it  that  the  best  is  supported. 

THEATERS 

The  numbers  attending  the  Madison  theater  and  halls 
Theater  Conditions  used  for  concert  purposes  cannot  be  accurately  estimated 
Good  in  Madison       owing  to  a  great  variation  from  week  to  week.     The  great 

numbers  of  music  enthusiasts  in  the  city  can  be  guessed  from 
the  great  attendance  at  symphony  concerts;  eighteen  hundred  persons  is  not 
unknown.  Particularly  good  drama  is  equally  well  received,  though  the  capacity 
of  the  theater  is  less  than  twelve  hundred.  The  excellent  influence  of  the  better 
form  of  drama  and  music  cannot  be  questioned.  Madison  can  congratulate  itself 
upon  the  support  offered  to  the  best  of  each.  No  improper  performances  are  wilfully 
tolerated  in  the  city.  The  mayor  in  person  supported  by  the  sentiment  of  the  public 
sees  to  it  that  objectionable  features  are  eliminated,  whenever  possible. 

Vaudeville 

The  report  of  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation  investigation  in  New  York  includes 
these  sentences: 

"As  to  vaudeville,  its  most  characteristic  is  simple  stupidity.  Three-fourths 
of  the  performances  are  classed  as  'not  objectionable.'  No  person  of  moderate 
intelligence  can  attend  a  dozen  vaudeville  performances  without  being  disgusted  at 
their  vapidity." 

The  worst  types  of  vaudeville  are  unknown  in  M?dison  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  city  is  free  from  mixed  vaudeville  and  motion  picture  houses  in  which  the  former 
is  given  a  place  of  importance.  Madison  is  fortunate  also  in  having  only  one  vaude- 
ville house  and  in  having  a  large  vaudeville  attendance.  These  conditions  make 
possible  a  high  class  of  performance.  The  weekly  attendance  is  estimated  as  10,000 
persons  or  more.  In  spite  of  the  care  taken  by  the  management  to  eliminate  bad 
points  and  of  their  willingness  to  listen  to  criticism  of  the  patrons,  certain  objec- 
tionable features  are  observed  in  Madison's  vaudeville  performances.  As  to  the 
extent  of  the  influence,  we  are  not  prepared  to  decide  definitely,  but  do  not  believe 
that  the  harm  done  is  great.  Continued  careful  attention  to  the  elimination  of 
questionable  features  is  to  be  desired. 

Public  Dance  Halls 

There  seems  to  be  some  uncertainty  as  to  which  of  the  dance  halls  are  to  be  con- 
sidered under  police  supervision.     There  are  degrees  of  publicity 
List  of  Public        which  confuse  the  officials  and  lead  to  misunderstanding.     For 
Dance  Halls  this  reason  we  herewith  list  some  halls  which  it  is  believed  should 

be  licensed  and  should  be  carefully  supervised  by  the  police. 


60  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

The  Colonial,  115  E.  Mifflin, 

Kehl's  Hall,  309  W.  Johnson, 

Eagle  Hall,  23  W.  Main,  3d  floor, 

Woodmen's  Hall,  1-5  S.  Pinckney,  Brown  Bldg.,  4th  floor, 

Gisholt  Club,  Gisholt  Works,  S.  Baldwin, 

Park  Hotel,  24  S.  Carroll, 

Woman's  Building,  238  W.  Oilman, 

Keeley's  Hall,  112  State, 

Turner  Hall,  21-23  S.  Butler. 
No  licenses  have  been  issued  this  year.  Only  three  of  the  halls  have  ever  been 
licensed — the  Colonial,  Kehl's,  and  the  Gisholt  Club  halls.  The  present  ordinance 
would  require  all  the  halls  to  be  licensed  except  perhaps  3  or  4  where 
Dance  Halls  invitation  dances  are  given.  The  difficulty  in  determining  whether 
Should  Be  or  not  a  dance  is  a  public  dance  could  be  done  away  with  by  the 

Licensed  licensing  of  all  halls  rented  to  the   public,  i.   e.,  public  halls, 

whether  or  not  so  called  "public  dances"  are  held  therein.  I  he 
present  ordinance  calls  for  the  licensing  only  of  halls  where  dances  are  held  to  which 
"the  public  generally  without  any  restriction  may  gain  admission  without  payment 
of  a  fee,"  or  where  instruction  in  dancing  is  given  "for  hire."  The  combined  effect 
of  the  difficulty  of  enforcement  of  this  ordinance  and  lack  of  attention  on  the  part 
of  the  police  sufficiently  accounts  for  the  failure  to  license  any  halls.  Generally,  the 
only  public  danaes  being  given  regularly  are  those  attended  chiefly  by  university 
students  and  subject  to  the  severe  scrutiny  of  a  sorority  and  other  chaperons  and 
those  given  at  the  Colonial  and  the  Gisholt  Club. 

The  numbers  attending  dances  of  a  public  nature  excluding  students 
Attendance      are  probably  during  the  winter  season  per  week  400  or  over.     Men 

are  greatly  in  the  majority.     The  student  public  dances  ordinarily 
draw  something  over  70  couples  per  week. 

The  dances  of  a  strictly  public  nature  constitute  the  most  important 
Downtown  single  problem  to  be  considered  in  connection  with  direct,  influence  of 
Dances  commercial  recreation.     The  worst  of  these  public  dances  are  known 

as  "pig  races"  and  are  spoken  of  as  being  rough  by  people  habitually 
going  to  them.  So  low  a  crowd  of  girls  attend  some  of  the  dances,  that  the  mistaken 
statement  is  not  infrequently  made  that  all  women  present  are  of  bad  character. 
The  conduct  at  the  worst  dances  shows  the  influence  of  consider- 
Objectionable  able  restraint.  (1)  For  the  past  few  weeks  a  police  officer  has 
Features  Noted      been  sent  to  watch  all  public  dances  in  the  center  of  the  city  at 

least.  (2)  Early  in  the  evening  many  older  people  watch  the 
dancing  and  are  undeniably  a  good  influence.  (3)  No  liquor  is  sold  and  almost 
none  drunk  at  the  dances  except  by  men  going  out  to  visit  saloons.  (4)  Many  of 
the  girls  present — -the  most  of  them  to  some  extent — have  ideals  of  conduct  which 
alone  is  a  restraining  influence  of  importance.  The  mode  of  dancing  is  not  all,  or 
very  little  more  open  to  criticism,  than  that  seen  in  the  homes  of  our  best  families. 
Separation  of  bodies  is  needed  at  times.  Horse  play  is  not  excessive,  but  at  rare 
intervals  is  permitted  in  objectionable  form.     Vulgar  and  indecent  remarks  of  men 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  61 

can  easily  be  overheard  by  women  occasionally.     Nervous  excitement,  laughter  and 
screams  are  heard  occasionally. 

A  great  many  men  and  a  few  girls  leave  the  hall  on  pass-out-checks.  The  practice 
is  looked  upon  as  almost  disreputable  by  the  women  generally  and  is  therefore 
restricted.  Perhaps  one-half  of  the  women  taking  pass-out-checks  were 
Drinking  under  21.  The  men  who  pass  out  with  other  men  go  to  saloons  almost 
During  without  exception.  The  couples  or  small  groups  go  to  the  lunch  wagons 
Dances  perhaps,  loaf  in  doorways,  or  go  up  the  alleys.  The  practice  of  the 
women  drinking  beer  while  up  the  alleys  has  been  found  to  be  extensive. 
Some  whiskey  is  drunk  at  the  dances,  though  whiskey  is  recognized  by  the  manage- 
ments of  all  such  places  as  dangerous.  An  instance  of  checking  beer  with  coats  has 
been  noted,  though  this  practice  is  not  common.  The  men's  cloak  room  and  toilet 
room  were  found  to  be  in  far  from  sanitary  condition  in  the  principal  downtown 
hall. 

Large  numbers  of  girls  and  almost  all  men  attend  without  partners  or  in  the  case 

of  women  without  any  male  escort.  A  few  of  those  coming 
Lack  of  Proper  alone  go  home  with  men,  perhaps  strangers,  met  at  the 

Introductions,  Etc.         dance.     Over  half  of  the  girls  at  the  usual  dances  permit 

men  to  dance  with  them  without  introduction.  The  prac- 
tice is  not  particularly  indicative  of  indiscretion.  Very  rare  cases  of  intoxicated 
women  and  consequent  immodest  actions  have  been  noted.  Instances  of  needed 
action  upon  the  part  of  management  or  police  were  noted.  A  policeman  made  the 
remark  to  the  investigator  that  a  certain  couple  should  be  put  out,  but  he  failed  to 
act.  The  mask  balls  are  less  orderly  than  other  dances.  Some  undesirable  cos- 
tumes are  worn.  Smoking  is  permitted  at  the  principal  hall  in  spite  of  rules  posted 
conspicuously. 

In  addition  to  permitting  smoking,  the  fire  risk  is  increased  by  congestion  permitted 

in  and  around  the  stairway  of  the  principal  hall.     The  same  hall  has 

Fire  Risks        an  exit  opening  inward.     Another  hall  has  been  ordered  to  make 

alterations,  but  fails  to  comply.     Enforcible  building  regulations  are 

lacking. 

It  is  recommended : 
Recommendations      (1)  That  careful  attention  be  given  to  the  public  dances  by  all 

interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  city,  and  that  if  a  complete  re- 
adjustment does  not  take  place,  the  halls  giving  public,  or  essentially  public,  dances 
be  closed. 

(2)  That  pass-out-checks  be  forbidden  by  ordinance  and  until  council  action  is 
possible,  by  order  of  the  mayor. 

1(3)  That  certain  well-known  persons  be  excluded  from  the  halls  by  the  manage- 
ment or  the  police  acting  unofficially  by  means  of  warnings. 
(4)  That  strict  attention  be  given  to  questions  of  conduct  in  the  hall. 
(5)  That  the  mayor  appoint  chaperons  to  attend  each  public  dance  and  report 
suggestions  to  him. 
(6)  That  mask  balls  and  costume  parties  be  not  permitted  as  public  dances. 
(7)  That  shadow  dances  be  forbidden. 


62  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

(8)  That  a  proper  position  in  dancing  be  defined  and  enforcement  provided. 

(q)  That  older  people  attend  public  dances.  Families,  churches^  and  commu- 
nities represented  by  younger  patrons  should  supply  unofficial  chaperons. 

(10)  That  all  halls  rented  for  dances  be  considered  as  public  dance  halls  and  re- 
quired by  ordinance  to  be  licensed. 

ACROSS-THE-LAKE  DANCES 

The  use  of  dance  pavilions  across  the  lakes  has  been  limited  by  the  feeling  in  the 
minds  of  many  that  these  affairs  are  not  always  adequately  chaperoned  or  perhaps 
that  adequate  chaperonage  is  under  existing  circumstances  impossible.  It  is  our 
belief  that  there  is  sufficient  reason  for  this  last  conclusion,  and  that  it  is  unneces- 
sary to  consider  in  detail  reports  as  to  the  results  of  the  situation. 

It  is  urgently  recommended:  (i)  That  all  parks  across  the  lake 
Recommendations     be  fenced  and  adequately  lighted  for  night  use*  and  that  no 

more  than  one  or  two  entrance  gates  be  permitted.  If  this 
recommendation  is  not  complied  with,  it  certainly  becomes  the  duty  of  the  city  to 
promote  public  dances  at  Monona  Park  under  desirable  conditions. 

(2)  That  older  people  attend  public  dances.  Families,  churches,  and  commu- 
nities represented  by  younger  patrons  should  supply  unofficial  chaperons. 

(3)  That  the  mayor  appoint  competent  chaperons  to  attend  each  public  dance 
and  report  to  him. 

ROLLER  SKATING  RINKS 

One  roller  skating  rink  is  found  in  Madison  operating  during  the  later  winter 
months  only.  It  is  not  particularly  popular  even  when  music  is  afforded.  For 
this  reason  it  is  probable  that  it  will  not  be  operated  next  year.  It  should  not  be 
operated  without  very  careful  supervision  and  chaperoning;  and  for  roller  skating 
rinks  neither  of  these  is  easily  secured. 

BOAT  LIVERIES 

The  uses  of  the  Jakes  for  boating  is  offered  commercially  by  eight  boat  liveries. 
The  usual  prices  for  boats  by  the  hour  are  as  follows:  Canoe,  25  cents  an  hour;  ice 
boat,  50  cents  an  hour;  $2  a  half  day;  launch  (medium  size),  $2  an  hour;  launch 
(small),  $2  the  first  hour,  #1  thereafter;  launch  (large),  $5  an  hour;  row  boat,  20 
cents  the  first  hour,  12  cents  thereafter.  The  supply  of  boats  is  upon  occasions  of 
special  demand  entirely  inadequate. 

BILLIARD  AND  POOL  HALLS 

Morning,  11:00  A.  M.  to  12:00  noon,  38;  early  afternoon,  2:00  P.  M. 
Attendance     to  3:00  P.  M.,  46;   late  afternoon,  4:00  P.  M.  to  5:00  P.  M.,  66;   late 
evening,  10:15  P.  M.  to  11:15  P-  M.,  62. 
The  figures  presented  indicate  typical  number  of  players  at  various  periods  of 

*  Adequate  lighting  is  lacking  at  the  City's  Monona  P.ark  as  in  other  city  parks. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  63 

the  day.     Low  rather  than  high  instances  have  been  taken  so  as  to   err   on   the 
conservative  side  rather  than  exaggerate. 

Billiards  and  pool  considered  as  one  game  constitute  a  form  of 
Favorite  with  commercial  recreation  of  moderate  importance.  It  is,  however, 
Young  Men  of  considerable  importance  among  young  men  and  especially  so 

among  the  largest  class  of  players  who  are  regular  patrons  of  the 
halls.  The  skill  and  careful  training  required  to  become  an  expert  pool  or  billiard 
player  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  these  games  have  considerable  value  recrea- 
tionally. 

The  discussion  of  the  use  of  the  halls  as  loafing  places  is  found 
Objectionable  below.  This  is  no  doubt  the  most  important  point  regarding 
Features  players  and  others,  it  being  significant  that  out  of  the  total  number 

of  billiard  or  pool  halls  (excluding  those  connected  with  saloons), 
|8%  are  important  as  loafing  centers.  The  attractions  of  many  of  the  billiard 
balls  of  Madison  include  minor  forms  of  gambling,  such  as  shaking  dice  with  the 
proprietor,  money  staked  against  trade  being  the  most  common  form.  Patrons 
sometimes  play  games  of  dice  and  poker  among  themselves.  The  amount  of  petty 
gambling  varies  with  the  various  halls,  but  the  existence  of  some  form  of  gambling 
seems  almost  universal.  Many  of  the  frequenters  of  billiard  and  pool  halls  are 
persons  whose  influence  cannot  be  said  to  be  beneficial.  Many  so-called  "sports" 
and  "rounders"  are  found  in  some  of  the  halls.  Their  coterie  naturally  gravitates 
toward  the  tables.  Their  ideals  and  ideas  are  everywhere  met  with  in  language 
and  conversation  of  profane  and  obscene  nature.  These  facts  may  be  regarded  as 
added  testimony  concerning  the  influence  of  these  halls  as  loafing  places  or  "hang- 
outs. 

The  saloons  which  have  billiard  halls  in  the  same  room  or  in 
Connected  with  rooms  opening  directly  into  them  are  of  necessity  not  those 
Saloons  important  among  young  men  owing  to  the  law  excluding  minors 

from  saloons.  Of  the  eighty  saloons  of  the  city,  eleven  have 
pool  or  billiard  tables  or  rooms  in  connection  with  them.  Neither  the  making  of  a 
billiard  hall  into  a  saloon  or  of  a  saloon  into  a  hall  for  games  is  recreationally 
desirable. 

It  is  recommended:  (1)  That  the  police  strictly  enforce  Section  2  of  Chapter  XVII 
of  the  ordinances  of  1904  forbidding  obscene  language  and  disorderly  conduct  in 

billiard  halls  as  well  as  other  public  places.  (2)  That  in  order 
Recommendations     to  facilitate  investigation  and  regulation  of  pool  and  billiard 

halls,  only  a  limited  number  of  licenses  be  issued.  In  order  to 
reduce  the  number  of  halls  in  existence,  the  conduct  of  patrons  and  managements 
should  be  studied  and  compared  and  those  most  objectionable  be  refused  licenses. 
(3)  That  social  agencies  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  city  give  their  assistance 
in  discovering  and  eliminating  the  objectionable  conditions. 

BOWLING  ALLEYS 

Bowling  is  a  desirable  form  of  commercial  recreation  from  the  point  of  view  of 
dhysical  exercise.     It  resembles  billiards  in  being  attractive  to  only  a  part  of  the 


64  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


general  public.  The  bowlers  are  a  comparatively  exclusive  crowd, 
Bowling  as  but  perhaps  less  so  than  their  fellows  of  the  pool  and  billiard  halls. 
Recreation       Bowling  alleys  attract  loafers  in  the  manner  of  pool  rooms  and  tobacco 

shops,  but  there  is  an  unmistakable  difference  between  the  two  kinds 
fo  halls,  (i)  Onlookers  are  generally  particularly  interested  in  some  game  or  match 
in  progress.  (2)  The  onlookers  in  Madison  alleys,  like  the  habitual  players  them- 
selves, are  better  behaved  than  those  found  in  billiard  halls.  The  billiard  hall  pro- 
prietors evidently  have  a  more  difficult  problem  to  cope  with.  Rudimentary  bet- 
ting and  gambling  are  not  unknown  in  bowling  alleys  in  Madison,  but  there  seems 
to  be  much  less  of  it  then  in  pool  and  billiard  halls.  A  new  attitude  on  the  part  of  1 
the  police  toward  the  regulation  of  gambling  would  perhaps  entirely  remove  them. . 


LOAFING  PLACES 


.. 


"Most  of  the  thieves  are  recruited  from  young  men  who  spend  their  time 
and  around  places  known  as  hang-outs,  such  as  candy  stores,  cigar  stores,  two-and- 
half-cents-a-cue   pool   parlors,   fake  social   clubs,   low  saloons    and   restaurants."' 
This  is  a  quotation  from  a  lately  published  police  manual  said  by  authorities  to  be 
the  best  of  its  kind  in  existence. 

Given  the  gymnasium,  baseball  ground,  bowling  alley,  swimming  tank,  or  other 
recreational  device,  thf^group  of  young  people  will  still  fail  to  fully  take  advantage 
of  the  possibilities  unless  supervision  is  provided.     Without  either 
Evils  of  facilities  or  supervision  or  restraint  of  any  kind,  the  activities  of 

Loafing  Places  the  young  people  may  lead  in  any  direction.  The  group  least  pro- 
vided for  and  most  thrown  upon  its  own  resources,  is  invariably  the 
one  encountering  bad  influences  and  assimilating  them.  In  a  city,  even  the  best 
cities,  there  are  centers  offering  destructive  influences.  It  is,  no  doubt,  incorrect  to 
assume  that  all  loafing  places  are  necessarily  bad.  Some  of  them  may  be  centers 
"really  not  of  loafing,  but  of  discussion  and  social  intercourse  well  worth  while.  It 
is,  however,  invariably  the  case  that  in  some  of  them  the  worst  influences  will  be  felt. 
Moreover,  judging  from  the  present  investigation  made  of  the  loafing  places,  the 
great  majority  of  such  places  are  frequented  by  people  of  far  from  admirable  char- 
acter. 

The  relation  between  the  ages  of  the  frequenters  and  the  influ- 
Encourages  ences  of  the  places  shows  clearly  that  for  young  men  to  idle 

Vitiating  Habits  away  their  time  without  serious  consequences  is  almost  im- 

possible. The  language  of  the  young  men  is  more  profane  and 
obscene  than  that  of  any  adults  of  middle  life  except  the  most  depraved.  Cigarette 
smoking  is  almost  universal  among  frequenters  between  the  ages  of  18  and  22. 
Minor  devices  of  gambling  are  extensively  used,  such  as  poker  games  with  a  mod- 
erate limit  and  dice  games.  It  must  be  remembered  in  regard  to  places,  that  any 
hall  or  room  may  have  several  uses.  A  billiard  "parlor"  may  operate  (0  as  a  place 
to  play  billiards,  (2)  as  a  place  to  watch  billiard  playing,  (3)  as  a  cigar  store,  (4)  as  a 


*Cahalene,  Police  Practice  and  Procedure,  p.  160. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  65 

hang-out  for  a  crowd  of  friends  of  the  manager  or  employees.     There  may  be  two 
crowds — one  of  the  younger  men  and  boys  and  another  of  much  older  men. 

The  most  important  single  element  of  the  problem  is  that  of  removing 
Odious  objectionable  characters  who  operate  places  used  for  loafing.     These 

Habitues  men  may  be  attractive  in  proportion  to  their  lack  of  fitness.  For  ex- 
ample, one  of  the  saloons  most  popular  with  minors,  is  operated  by  a 
man  who  permits  disorder,  loud  swearing  and  highly  improper  language  and  who 
has  been  known  to  offer  to  give  confidential  information  regarding  women  of  bad 
character.  Needless  to  say,  this  manager  is  of  the  good  comrade  type,  having 
many  friends  among  his  patrons. 

If  no  license  is  involved,  and  even  in  many  cases  when  a  license  is  needed 
Remedies  for  the  place,  it  is  not  possible  to  exclude  all  bad  characters  from  contact 
with  the  public.  The  solution  of  the  problem  consists  of  an  educational 
process  intended  to  raise  the  grade  of  public  demand,  and  of  the  provision  of  facili- 
ties for  supervised  and  desirable  recreation  and  clubbing  among  young  men.  A 
well  supervised  gymnasium  will  easily  overcome  the  tendency  of  groups  to  spend 
long  hours  at  some  "hang-out." 

There  are  considered  below  the  number  of  persons  loafing  at  billiard 
Attendance  halls,  cigar  stores,  hotels  (not  visitors),  barber  shops  (not  customers), 
bowling  alleys  (excluding  mere  on-lookers),  lunch  wagons  (including 
all  habitual  frequenters  on  friendly  terms  with  men  in  charge),  railway  depots, 
switch  houses,  fire  stations,  round  houses.  The  definition  of  loafing  must  include  a 
certain  amount  of  attendance  in  saloons,  but  no  clear  line  of  demarcation  can  be 
found.  Thirty-three  loafing  places  have  been  noted,  162  persons  loafing  have  been 
noted  between  7:00  P.  M.  and  9:30  P.  M.,  }occ  of  all  loafers  are  estimated  to  be 
under  21  years  of  age. 

The  total  of  minimum  estimates  of  daily  attendance  of  minors  for  each 
place  gives  a  figure  something  over  200.  The  amount  of  duplication  can  only  be 
guessed.  Another  open  question  is  as  to  the  proportion  of  the  total  represented  by 
boys  to  be  counted  every  day.  How  many  regular  members  of  the  crowds  are 
there?  Perhaps  75%  might  be  safely  considered  regular,  this  figure  standing  not 
for  daily  loafing,  but  for  but  a  small  proportion  of  days  missed.  The  irregular  minor 
attendants  upon  loafing  places  must  to  a  greater  or  less  degree  include  the  whole 
masculine  population  between  the  ages  of  18  and  20  inclusive,  660.*  This  (exclud- 
ing university  students  entirely)  would  indicate  more  than  2  1  '2  and  less  than  4  boys 
loafing  in  public  places  almost  not  at  all  or  intermittently  for  every  one  doing  so 
regularly. 

POPCORN,  PEANUTS  AND  CANDIES 

Popcorn  and  peanut  stands  and  candy  counters  are  of  no  significance  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  present  study. 


*Estimated. 
6— R.  s. 


66  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

CANDY  AND  ICE  CREAM  PARLORS 

In  the  city  there  are  eight  ice  cream  and  refreshment  parlors  at  which  no  intox- 
icating liquors  are  sold.  There  are  in  addition  as  many  more  places  operating  a 
soda  water  fountain  the  whole  year  and  serving  other  refreshments,  but  not  wholly 
engaged  in  this  service,  the  tables  being  located  in  the  same  room  with  drug  stores, 
tobacco  stores,  or  small  shops  of  various  types.  The  places  serve  persons  seeking  a 
moment's  rest  and  refreshment,  and  in  this  way  are  a  benefit  to  the  community. 

Private  booths  such  as  are  found  in  several  of  the  Madison  shops  are  not  ob- 
jectionable because  those  within  them  are  not  withdrawn  from  the  public  view. 
This  is  not  the  case  in  one  of  the  shops  where  the  situation  may  be  considered  with- 
out reference  to  specific  results  of  the  arrangement  of  seats;  some  readjustment  is 
evidently  needed  including  the  addition  of  more  effective  lighting  facilities. 

LUNCH  ROOMS  AND  WAGONS 

In  so  far  as  lunch  rooms  and  wagons  are  of  significance  in  the  present  study, 
they  are  covered  elsewhere  in  the  report. 

SALOONS 

The  following  discussion  of  the  attendance  and  conditions  in  Madison  saloons 
is  based  upon  a  study  of  24  out  of  80.  Some  of  these  24  were  not  thoroughly 
investigated: 

Estimates  of  daily  number  entering  saloons  in  Madison  per  day 
Extent  of  Use      place  the  minimum  figure  at  4,000  or  over. 

No  single  statement  is  possible  regarding  the  patrons  of  saloons 
Character  of  owing  to  a  great  variety  of  nationalities,  classes,  and  occupations 
Attendance  represented.     Some  statement  as  to  a  few  important  representa- 

tive groups  may  be  made. 

Saloons  are  found  in  Fair  Oaks  and  elsewhere  which  do  a  large 

(1)  The  Factory      business  with  skilled  and  other  laborers  from  shops.     At  closing 
Workers  hour,  they  are  filled  with  tired  men  who  drink  a  glass  of  beer  on 

the  way  home.  Beer  is  almost  the  only  drink  of  these  men, 
though  a  few  take  whiskey  or  carry  a  whiskey  flask.  The  factory  workers  are 
orderly,  clean  in  speech,  and  seldom  heavy  drinkers. 

There  are  many  German  and  Scandinavian  saloon  centers  in  this 

(2)  The  Foreign      city.     The  proverbial  German  glass  of  beer  and  the  national 
Element  workingman's  club  easily  explain  the  German  barkeepers.     The 

national  influence  so  far  as  felt  seems  to  be  toward  an  orderly, 
well-managed  saloon,  one  nationality  excepted. 

There  are  two  principal  student  saloons  in  the  city  with  four  or 

(3)  Students        more  others  drawing  a  small  amount  of  student  trade.     The  Bohe- 

mian atmosphere  congenial  to  the  young  college  man  leads  many 
to  make  occasional  visits  to  saloons.     Few  students  on  principle  refuse  to  patronize 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  67 

them.  During  the  last  four  years  student  drunkenness  has  fallen  off  so  rapidly 
that  it  is  now  extremely  rare — almost  unknown,  in  fact — except  when  so-called  cele- 
brations are  given  with  returning  alumni.  Student  drinking  has  likewise  fallen  off. 
Beer  is  almost  the  only  drink  chosen  by  students.  There  is  a  certain  limited  group 
of  students  who  are  certainly  injured  by  continual  attendance  at  saloons.  These 
generally  run  with  town  boys  who  are  little  better  than  "bar-flies."  One  of  the  stu- 
dent saloons  was  found  to  be  frequently  disorderly — quarreling,  slight  intoxication, 
loud  profanity,  obscene  language,  passing  confidential  informacion  concerning 
women,  etc.  The  saloonkeeper  is  closely  associated  with  the  conversations  and 
actions  of  patrons.  Fifty  percent  of  all  students  in  the  university  are  minors. 
A  number  of  Madison  saloons  habitually  sell  to  men  who,  if  not  intoxicated  accord- 
ing to  their  standards,  are  at  least  not  in  full  control  of  their  facul- 

(4)  Bar-flies        ties.     Such    saloons   have   coteries   of  "bar-flies"    who    regularly 

spend  a  large  part  of  their  income  on  drink  and  loaf  or  play  cards 
in  saloons  for  hours.  Some  of  them  have  no  regular  employment.  Many  are 
young  men  whose  chances  for  future  success  are  greatly  reduced  by  late  hours,  bad 
company,  and  squandered  money. 

It  is  probable  that  the  number  of  women  buying  liquor  at  public 

(5)  Women      places  in  Madison  seldom  exceeds  75  per  day.     A  considerable  per- 

centage of  this  number  is  well  known  at  the  places  they  patronize 
Of  course,  certain  instances  of  undesirable  conduct  may  be  recorded.  Intoxica 
tion,  disorderly  conduct,  immodestly  affectionate  actions,  improper,  even  obscen 
language — all  were  found  among  women  in  several  places  at  rare  intervals.  Th 
chief  fault  lies  with  the  class  of  people  who  frequently  enter  these  places. 

Speaking  only  of  a  very  limited  number  of  Madison  saloons? 
Objectionable  the  following  conditions  have  been  noted:     (1)  Selling  to 

Conditions  in  minors;  (2)  drunkenness  and  selling  to  intoxicated  persons; 

Madison's  Saloons         (3)  selling  to  habitual  drunkards;  (4)  vile  language;  (5)  loud 

quarreling  and  rough  games;  (6)  giving  information  as  to 
women  of  ill  fame;  (7)  gambling  with  dice  and  with  cards. 

Recognizing  that  the  saloon  serves  a  recreational  need  in  Madison, 
Conclusions         which  need  is  not  at  present  fulfilled  by  any  other  existing  institu- 
tion, but   recognizing  also  that  certain  Madison  saloons  have  so 
subordinated  the  recreational  value  of  their  services  to  commercial  ends  as  to  per- 
mit conditions  injurious  to  the  community,  it  is  recommended: 

(1)  That  licenses  be  refused  all  liquor  dealers  permitting  improper  conduct  in 
their  saloons  (including  those  discovered  in  this  study). 

(2)  That  the  police  give  special  attention  to  saloon  regulation  and  avoid  com- 
promising friendships  with  saloonkeepers  or  bartenders. 

(3)  That  social  agencies  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  city  give  their  assist- 
ance in  discovering  and  eliminating  the  objectionable  conditions. 

(4)  That  one  entrance  only  be  permitted  each  saloon  and  that  leading  directly 
to  a  public  way,  and  that  no  opening  for  the  purpose  of  selling  beer  and  other 
liquor  to  persons  outside  the  saloon  be  permitted,  and  that  the  saloonkeepers  be  not 
permitted  to  aid  in  the  serving  of  liquor  outside  their  bar-room. 


CHAPTER  VII 
NATURAL  OUTDOOR  FACILITIES 

Madison  can  boast  of  easily  accessible  natural  opportunities  for  outdoor  recre- 
ation, perhaps  unsurpassed  anywhere  on  the  continent.  Her  lakes,  her  hills,  her 
woods  and  fields,  her  climate,  all  unite  in  offering  opportunities  for  a  variety  of  out- 
door and  outing  activities  for  young  and  old.     These  are:     (i)   Boating — canoe- 


An  Outing  at  Monona  Park 


ing,  sailing,  rowing,  motor  boating,  lake  trips,  (2)  swimmins,  (3)  fishing;  (4)  pic- 
nicing;  (5)  cross-country  running;  (6)  hiking;  (7)  shooting  light  game;  (8)  motoring; 
(9)  tobogganing;  (10)  coasting;  (11)  ice  boating;  (12)  skating;  (13)  skate  sailing; 
(14)  skiing. 


THE  USE  OF  THE  LAKES 

Every  form  of  boating  except  sailing  is  provided  commercially  in  Madison.     1  he 
charges  are  indicated  elsewhere.     Many  hundreds  of  boats  are  privately    owned. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


69 


These  are  stored  either  in  private  boat  houses,  in  space  rented  in  storage 
Boating       boat  houses,  or  along  the  shore  of  the  lakes  on  private  and  park  property 

with  and  without  permission.  The  difficulties  in  the  way  of  use  of  the 
lakes  are  being  met  by  all  manner  of  devices  showing  a  widespread  interest  in  water 
sport  on  the  part  of  all  classes  and  ages. 

Sailing  is  an  especially  popular  sport  in  Madison,  great  interest  being 
Sailing        aroused  in  races.     These  and  all  sailing  activities  are  fostered  by  the 

Madison  Yacht  Club. 


v 


tiJUMK* 


Ice  Boating  on  Lake  Mendota 


Lake  and  inter-lake  passenger  boats  are  important  recreationally,  making  possible 

visits  to  parks  and  cottages  and  most  of  all  for  the  trips  them- 
Passenger  Boats     selves.     The  city  of  Madison  gives  its  aid  to  the  use  of  the  lakes 

by  maintaining  the  locks  between  Mendota  and  lakes  Monona  in 

the  Yahara.* 

A  greater  number  of  privately  owned  row  boats  would  probably  be 

Need  of        maintained  if  there  were  proper  facilities  for  caring  for  them.     Park 

Storage         and  street-end  platforms  for  storage  and  wharves  should  be  maintained 

Facilities      by  the  city  possibly  financed  by  charging  a  fee  of  $2.00  per  annum  for 

mooring  boats  in  the  lake  and  for  using  the  wharves  and  platforms  for 

storage.     Such  charges  would  not  be  prohibitive  to  the  boat  owner. 

For  those  not  owning  boats  or  canoes  proper  action  by  the  city  or  park  asso- 
ciation would  make  boats  or  canoes  available  at  a  nominal  price  and  thus  extend 
the  popular  use  of  the  lakes. 

The  great  popularity  of  swimming  in  the  summer  months  is  indicated 
Swimming       by  the  hundreds  of  people  using  the  bath  houses  each   day,  but  much 
of  the  bathing  is  done  without  use  of  the  bath  houses.     This  is  espe- 
cially true  in  the  university  quarter.     The  custom  of  passing  down  the  streets  in 


*Cost  1915,  Tender  (6  m'os.)  $300.00.     Repairs  and  replacements,  $600.00. 


7o 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


bathing  attire  has  aroused  criticism  on  many  occasions,  as  has  also  the  practice  of 
using  private  beaches  for  boisterous  bathing  parties.     The  burden  of  the  criticism 

should  be  felt  to  rest  upon  the  city,  for  it  lies  with  it  to  secure  facili- 
Need  of  ties  for  bathing  adequate  for  the  present  needs  in  the  shape  of  bath 

Bath  Houses     houses  and  supervision.     The  extent  of  the  bathing  now  done  from 

homes  indicates  that  there  is  immediate  need  for  at  least  three  more 
public  bath  houses.  These  might  be  located  as  follows:  (i)  At  the  north  end  of 
Franklin  street;  (2)  in  Henry  Vilas  Park;  (3)  in  the  university  quarter.  The  last 
should  be  constructed  by  the  city  and  university  jointly  and  maintained  jointly 
according  to  an  apportionment  of  the  cost  in  some  way  approximating  the  ratio  of 
university  and  town  use. 


Watching  the  Annual  Class  Rush 

Fishing  opportunities  in  the  lakesare  excellent,  pickerel,  pike,  and  bass,  afford 
the  best  sport.     The  problem  of  promoting  easy  access  to   boats   is   the 

Fishing  chief  problem  in  connection  with  making  fishing  opportunities  wide- 
spread.    The  Madison  Gun  Club  has  undertaken  to  stock   the   lakes  so 

as  to  conserve  and  foster  fishing  as  a  sport. 


SAFETY  ON  THE  LAKES 

The  protection  of  life  on  the  lakes  is  a  matter  largely  left  to  private  initiative,  and, 
no  doubt,  however  effective  special  life  saving  facilities  are  made,  an  important,  if 

not  the  most  important,  life  saving  agency  will  be  the  private  owners 
Boating         and   operators  of  boats,   especially  passenger  service  launches.     The 

university  takes  two  precautions  for  the  care  of  students  using  the  lakes 
not  considered  necessary  by  the  city:  (1)  A  red  flag  is  exhibited  by  the  weather 
bureau  at  such  times  as  the  lakes  are  likely  to  be  dangerous  to  small  craft.  (2)  A 
life  saving  launch,  specially  equipped,  and  capable  of  great  speed,  has  been  placed 
on  Mendota  lake. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  71 

The  city  ordinance  affecting  safety  provides  (1)  that  the  chief  of  police  shall  in- 
spect passenger  boats  at  frequent  intervals  to  see  that  life  preservers 
City  are  available  for  all  passengers;  (2)  that  all  boats  on  the  lake  after 

Regulation       dark  shall  have  lights;  (3)  that  steamers  shall  give  right  of  way  to  sail 
boats,  and  (4)  that  whistle  and  bell  signals  shall  be  used  as  provided 
by  the  United  States  government  for  inland  lakes.     The  second  and  first  ordinance 
requirements  are  not  enforced  adequately.     Such  a  warning  flag  as 
Suggestions     is  exhibited  by  the  weather  bureau  should  fly  at  all  boat  livery  depots. 
The  advisability  of  placing  a  rapid  life  saving  launch  on  Monona 
lake  is  a  question  deserving  careful  consideration  by  city  officials. 
Safety  provision  for  swimmers  is  now  made  by  the   city   at   the   two   bath  house 
beaches.     At  Tenney  Park  an  instructor  is  provided  and  at  Brittingham  Park  a  life 
guard.     The  university  during  summer  session  provides  a  life  guard 
Swimming       for  the  Latin  Quarter  shore  during  the  hours  of  the  day  when  swim- 
ming is  most  popular.     With  the  provision  of  adequate  bath  house 
facilities  and  at  least  one  guard  for  each,  the  dangers  from  drowning  can  be  greatly 
reduced.      During  busy  hours  two  skilled  instructors  are  needed  at  each  bath  house. 
Specific  information  as  to  the  needs  at  each  bath  house  should  be  secured  by  con- 
sultation with  the  guards  or  instructors, 

USE  OF  THE  FIELDS  AND  WOODS 

The  lake  shore  and  hills  about  Madison  afford  abundant  opportunities  for 
lake  shore  cottages,  camps,  and  picnic  excursions,  which  are  not  neglected,  but 
which,  on  the  other  hand,  might  be  used  with  satisfaction  by  much  larger  numbers 
if  efForts  were  taken  to  organize  means  of  making  this  possible. 

Considering  the  great  benefits  of  hiking  and  camp  life  for 
Camping  and  Hiking  young  boys  and  girls,  and  the  great  opportunities  afforded 
for  Children  for  organized  outing  excursions,  the  past  work  of  this  kind 

may  be  regarded  as  mere  samples  of  what  might  be  done. 
It  will  not  be  difficult  to  organize  camps  practically  self-supporting  for  almost 
every  boy  and  girl  in  the  city. 

Tramping  trips  for  business  and  professional  men  and  women  on  Saturday  after- 
noons and  holidays  have  a  peculiar  value.  Hundreds  of  men  and  women  in  other 
cities  have  shown  an  enthusiastic  interest  in  such  trips  and  gained 
Outing  for  what  they  needed  in  recreation,  when  the  pleasant  routes  were 
Adults  selected,  leaders  appointed,  and  a  group  drawn  together  by  associa- 

tion or  permanent  committee.  Large  numbers  of  individual 
women  have  not  the  time  for  such  planning  and  organization — their  interests  need 
to  be  pooled  in  committee  effort.  Without  organization  and  broad  interest,  the 
great  natural  resources  of  the  fields  and  woods  will  continue  to  go  to  waste. 

WINTER  SPORTS 

Ideal  opportunities  are  afforded  for  coasting  within  the  city  and  on  hills  nearby. 
Last  year  certain  less  used  streets  were  designated  by  city  officials  where  slides  were 


72 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


established  and  maintained  by  the  children  of  the  district.  They  were 
Coasting  in  great  demand.  Too  great  care  is  not  possible  in  connection  with 
Hills  safety  on  coasting  hills,      (i)  The  hills  should   be  lighted  the  whole 

length  of  the  slides  by  strings  of  incandescent  lamps.  (2)  Warning 
signs  should  be  placed  near  all  street  intersections  for  safety  during  the  day  or  at 
least  near  intersections  where  buildings  obscure  the  view  and  rapidly  moving  sleds 
may  appear  suddenly  in  front  of  approaching  vehicles.      (3)  Slides  crossing  railway 


iwmi 


Toboggan  Slide  on  University  Campus 


tracks  should  not  be  permitted.  Expense  of  properly  arranging  slides  will  be  amply 
justified  by  the  amount  of  pleasure  and  benefit  accruing  from  the  slides.  Super- 
vision during  the  busy  hours  is  another  important  need  felt  as  a  guarantee  of  orderly 
conduct. 

For  the  few  who  own  ice  boats  and  for  those  who  can  afford  the  time  and  money 

to  rent  them,  ice  boating  on  the  Madison  lakes  is  especially  signifi- 

Ice  Boating      cant.     This  is  one  of  the  great  attractions  of  the  city.     Important 

races  and  ice  regattas  are  held  here  each  year. 
Only  at  certain  times  are  the  open  lakes  available  for  skating.     Efforts  to  keep  spots 
cleared  of  snow  and  smooth  have  been  made,  but  they  have  been  largely  unsuccess- 
ful.    Park  lagoons  have  been  swept  by  the  officials  with  considerable 
Skating       success.     No  vacant  lot  rinks  are  maintained  nor  have  the  efforts  to  flood 
and  utilize  the  baseball  park  been  a  success.     The  need  of  centrally  lo- 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  73 

cated  spaces  for  skating  protected  from  the  wind  is  great.  There  is  'an  especially 
urgent  demand  for  a  space  in  the  eighth  ward  and  one  for  the  district  immediately 
about  and  east  of  the  square.  The  plan  of  utilizing  the  ball  park  is  an  excellent 
one.  Experience  in  other  cities  has  shown  that  vacant  level  spaces  with  banks  can 
be  flooded,  and  when  carefully  tended,  they  make  excellent  skating  rinks.     Such 

,  work  should  be  undertaken  by  the  park  officials.  For  the  proper  development  of 
skating,  instruction  and  supervision  is  greatly  to  be  desired.     Fees  for  admission 

I  to  the  baseball  park  and  other  rinks  in  the  evening  and  renting  of  refectory  priv- 
ileges may  well  be  considered  as  possible  features  of  the  plan  likely  to  bring  a  con- 
siderable revenue  which  would  make  possible  more  extensive  promoting  of  skating. 
An  association  for  the  fostering  and  developing  an  indoor  rink  and  curling  is  much 
needed  in  the  city. 

Excellent  tobogganning  opportunities  are  offered  by  the  university  to  student  and 
other  groups  paying  $2.00  for  the  season's   use  of  its  slide.     The 
Tobogganing       slide  is  built  from  the  summit  of  Observatory  Hill  to  the  lake  and 
far  out  on  the  ice.     This  slide  might  have  much  more  general  use 
under  the  tactful  and  energetic  inspiration  of  a  recreation  committee. 
Madison  is  unfortunate  in  not  having  a  permanent  ski  slide,  though   some  of  the 
hills  in  the  districts  immediately  adjacent  to  the  city  offer  unusual  opportunities  for 
slides.     These  hills  have  frequently  even  without  a  slide,  been  made  use  of 
Skiing      by  skiers.     Skiing  is  a  sport  which  has  proved  very  attractive  even  with- 
out organized  support.     The  great  difficulties  of  securing  and  maintain- 
ing slides  have  been  met  as  best  they  can  be  by  the  groups  who  are  most  interested. 
Few,  if  any,  forms  of  outdoor  exercises  are  more  calculated  to  develop  healthy  and 
robust  manhood  or  womanhood  than  skiing.     The  promotion  of  this  sport  would 
certainly  have  a  good  influence.     Judging  from  the  numbers  now  interested  and 
from  the  experience  of  other  cities  and  towns,  it  would  appear  that  many  adults  and 
great  numbers  of  young  people  might  readily  be  interested  in  skiing  if  special  steps 
were  taken  to  promote  it. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
HOME  WORK  AND  PLAY  OF  SCHOOL  CHILDREN 

Purpose  and  Method  of  the  Survey 

The  problem  of  home  work  and  play  of  children  is  a  part  of  the  whole  great  com- 
plication that  modern  society,  and  especially  the  modern  city,  has  created.  The 
development  of  modern  industry  and  the  yoke  it  has  placed  on  the 
City  Child's  working  class  has  not  only  tended  to  distort  and  cramp  the  lives  of 
Lack  of  Play  the  workers  themselves,  but  has  placed  its  heavy  hand  on  the 
Facilities  children  of  the  workers.     The  rich  play  heritage  of  the  country  or 

the  village  child  is  not  bequeathed  to  the  city  child.  Hunting, 
trapping,  fishing,  great  fields  for  sports,  gardening,  swimming,  tramping  in  forest 
and  meadow,  skating,  sleighing  and  all  the  exhilarating  activities  that  call  for  mus- 
cular endurance  and  deep  breathing,  that  may  be  engaged  in  at  will  by  the  child  of 
country  or  village,  are  not  obtained  by  the  average  city  child.  Not  only  is  the  city 
child  robbed  of  much  fresh  air  and  sunshine,  of  forest  and  stream,  of  healthy  play 
facilities,  but  he  has  inherited  play  traditions  and  forms  of  activities  that  are  vitiat- 
ing instead  of  upbuilding.  Many  commercial  amusements,  gaming,  "hanging  out" 
at  livery  stables,  billiard  halls,  tobacco  stores,  playing  scavengers  of  dump  piles, 
sneak  thieving  of  fruit  and  pilfering  from  box  cars— hideous  and  demoralizing 
activities — rob  many  a  city  child  of  his  finer  feelings  and  warp  both  body  and  soul. 
It  was  with  the  idea  in  mind  of  ascertaining  if  possible  what  activities  our  children 
engage  in,  to  discover  whether  those  activities  are  of  a  nature  to  build  muscle  and 

character,  or  such  as  to  destroy  health  and  moral  fibre,  that  a  survey 
Object  of  in  the  form  of  a  questionnaire  was  undertaken.  It  was  suspected  that 
Survey  possibly  city  children  generally  are  under-active  in  their   play,  that 

they  engage  in  some  dangerous  or  pernicious  forms  of  play,  that  the 
home  does  not  provide  sufficient  social  intercourse  or  play  facilities  to  fulfill  the 
needs  of  the  children.  When  the  actual  conditions  are  ascertained,  remedial  and 
constructive  suggestion  can  be  made.  Hence  we  might  say  that  the  object  of  this 
study  is  three-fold: 

I.  To  ascertain  the  nature  of  and  the  proportion  of  attention  paid  to  work  and 
play  outside  of  school  by  the  school  children. 

II.  To  distinguish  between  good  and  bad  features  of  their  activities. 

III.  To  recommend  such  a  course  of  action  as  will  conserve  and  improve  the 
commendable  practices  and  such  remedies  as  can  be  applied  for  correcting  the  less 
desirable  features. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  75 

Questionnaires  were  sent  out  in  January  to  all  the  schools  in  the  city,  including 
public  and  parochial  graded  schools  and  the  Sacred  Heart  Academy.     To  insure  a 

free  expression,  pupils  were  given  numbers  to  conceal  their  personal 
Method      identity-     A  copy  of  the  questionnaire  was  given  to  each  pupil  to  fill  out 

for  himself.  Only  the  pupils  in  the  4th,  5th,  6th,  7th  and  8th  grades  and 
in  the  high  school  were  given  questionnaires  because  children  in  the  three  lower 
grades  ct  uld  not  express  themselves  well  enough. 

The  questionnaires  called  for  play  and  work  activities  on  Sunday,  Saturday  and 
schcol  days,  in  the  morning,  afternoon  and  evening,  and  also  for  a  statement  of  the 
number  of  nights  out  during  the  week  and  the  things  they  did  on  these 
Questions  nights.  Specific  questions  were  asked  for  Sunday  morning,  afternoon 
Asked  and  evening.     The  amount  of  time  spent  on  various  forms  of  activities 

was  not  called  for,  since  it  was  felt  that  the  information  would  be  only  approximate 
and  not  very  desirable.  The  fact  that  the  questionnaires  went  out  in  the  winter 
time  means  a  heavy  registration  of  the  winter  sports  and  slight  mention  of  the 
summer  activities. 

This  reservation  must  be  made,  however,  in  evaluating  the  children's  replies, 
that  they  do  not  tell  the  mischief  they  do  and  do  not  speak  of  the  times  they  idle, 
and,  finally,  that  their  conceptions  of  their  activities  are  not  always  clear. 

Out  of  a  total  enrollment  of  3,983  pupils,  1893  boys  and  2090  girls,  a  total  of  3,328, 
564  boys  and  1764  girls,  returned  their  questionnaires.     A  total  of  929,  375  boys 

and  554  girls,  came  from  the  high  schools,  and  85  from  the  high 
Number  of  school  were  not  classified  due  to  failure  of  pupils  to  indicate  their 

Questionnaires  rank.  A  total  of  2312  questionnaires,  1 155  boys  and  1157  girls. 
Returned  came  from  the  graded  schools.     A  total  of  1572  public  graded, 

812  boys  and  760  girls,  answered;  689  parochial,  317  boys  and 
372  girls;  51  of  the  7th  and  8th  grades  of  the  Wisconsin  High  School,  and  47  girls 
from  the  Sacred  Heart  Academy. 


Outdoor  Recreation 

A  great  variety  of  play  activities  and  sports  were  mentioned  by  the  school  children 
in   their  answers  to  the  questionnaires.      Both   boys  and  girls  speak  of  outdoor 

sports,  baseball,  basketball,  tennis,  iceboating,  skating,  skiing, 
Varieties  of  tobogganing,  coasting,  catching  bobs,  swimming,  rowing,  canoeing, 

Activities  sailing,  handball  and  hiking.     The  boys  speak  of  football,  hockey, 

hunting  and  fishing.  Watching  games  and  athletic  events  are  also 
mentioned.  A  long  list  of  games  are  mentioned,  such  as  duck-on-a-rock,  hop- 
scotch, marbles,  ball  and  jacks,  etc. 

From  the  above  enumeration,   it  might  be  judged  that  the  children  had  ample 
opportunities  for  outdoor  play,  but  when  we  consider  that  there  are  5,000  school 


76 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


children  in  Madison,  we  realize  that  it  is  a  task  of  some  magnitude  to 
Play  in  furnish  space  and  facilities  for  their  games  and  sports.  How  much  time 
Streets       is  devoted  to  outside  sports  cannot  be  determined,  but  we  may  judge  of 

the  necessity  for  play  space  when  we  note  that  about  35%  of  the  children 
speak  of  playing  in  the  streets.  Such  sports  as  sliding,  baseball,  pull-away,  duck- 
on-a-rock,  ball  and  jack,  marbles,  prisoners'  base,  and  a  score  of  other  games  that 
require  no  equipment  are  all  played  mostly  in  the  streets. 


V 


S.o^C. 


Play  Facilities  Offered  Some  of  Our  Children 


Comparisons  of 
Activities  on 
Various  Days 


A  comparison  between  the  relative  amount  of  attention  given  to  outdoor  sports  on 
different  days,  as  indicated  by  the  number  of  children  mentioning  them,  can  be 
made  in  terms  of  per  cent,  tor  the  total  of  a  week  the  boys 
devote  16.4%  of  their  attention  (not  time)  and  the  girls  9.9%  to 
outside  sports  and  games,  which  shows  not  only  that  a  very 
gratifying  amount  of  attention  is  given  to  sports,  but  also  that 
the  boys  do  a  great  deal  more  than  the  girls.  Apparently,  the 
least  activity  exists  on  Sundays,  where  it  absorbs  only  11%  of  the  boys'  attention 
and  7%  of  the  girls'.  On  school  days  the  proportion  is  16.5%  for  the  boys  and 
10.2%  for  the  girls,  and  on  Saturday  the  proportion  is  the  greatest,  21.1%  for  the 
boys  and  11.9%  for  the  girls.  No  doubt  the  traditional  manner  of  regarding 
Sabbath  recreation  has  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  small  proportion  of  outdoor 
activities.  However,  this  conclusion  may  not  hold  good  for  the  percentages  for 
the  activities  on  school  days  are  somewhat  misleading  when  making  a  direct  com- 
parison with  Saturday  and  Sunday  activities.  They  represent  the  proportion  of 
the  attention  spent  on  activities  outside  of  school;  consequently,  the  amount  of 
time  spent  on  outdoor  sports  on  school  days  may  be  actually  less  than  the  time 
spent  on  Sunday. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  77 

Of  course,  it  is  a  truism  to  say  that  the  boys  spend  more  time  in  outdoor  sports  than 
girls  do,  but  merely  because  this  has  been  true  is  no  reason  why  it  should  always 

remain  so.  Girls  are  as  much  entitled  to  strong  muscles  and  good 
Comparison  of  lungs,  to  robust  constitucions,  as  the  boys.  Not  only  are  they 
Boys  and  Girls       entitled  to  outdoor  play,  but  girls  delight  in  vigorous  play  as  well 

as  do  boys  and  only  need  facilities  and  encouragement  to  engage 
in  it.  Merely  one  example  is  sufficient  to  illustrate  this  difference.  On  Sunday 
morning  767,  or  49%,  of  the  boys  spoke  of  outdoor  sports  and  only  516,  or  29%,  of 
the  girls  did  so. 

One  rather  surprising  thing  that  the  survey  showed  was  the  much  larger  proportion 
"  of  children  engaged  in  outside  play  in  the  grades  than  in  the  high  school.     For 

instance,  on  Sunday  afternoon  759,  or  66%,  of  the  grade  boys 
Comparison  of  mention  outdoor  sports,  and  172,  or  46%,  of  the  high  school 
Grades  and  boys;  561,  or  49%,  of  the  grade  girls  mention  it,  and  only   113, 

High  School  or  20%,  of  the  high  school  girls.     But  this  difference  in  outdoor 

activities  between  the  grades  and  high  school  is  only  a  difference 
in  the  average  of  a  series  of  steps  which  show  a  gradual  and  steady  decrease  in  the 
proportion  of  those  engaging  in  outdoor  sports  from  the  4th  grade  to  the  4th  year  in 
high  school.  For  example,  68%  of  the  boys  and  55%  of  the  girls  in  the  4th  grade 
speak  of  outdoor  sports  on  Sunday  afternoon  and  only  33%  of  the  boys  and  15%  of 
the  girls  speak  of  it  in  the  4th  year  of  high  school.  This  condition  of  affairs  cer- 
tainly points  to  the  necessity  for  providing  facilities  for  play  that  will  arouse  and 
hold  the  interest  of  the  more  mature  children  and  the  adolescent.  Healthy,  ab- 
sorbing play  activities  that  will  appeal  to  the  more  complex  and  more  sophisticated 
interests  of  the  adolescent,  play  demanding  skill,  courage  and  powers  of  organiza- 
tion must  be  provided  for  the  adolescent  to  prevent  indolence,  mischief,  and  even 
crime  in  some  cases,  and  to  substitute  therefore  the  powerful  educational  influence 
of  right  play. 

Indoor  Recreation 

Under  the  term  indoor  recreation  are  included  such  activities  as  reading,  playing 
cards,  playing  on  musical  instruments,  and  singing,  playing  games 

Varieties  of  in  the  house,  dancing,  pool,  billiards,  bowling,  basketball,  indoor 

Activities  baseball  clubs,  etc.     The  list  is  rather  heterogeneous  and  no  gen- 

eral statement  can  be  made  which  will  include  all,  so  that  many 

of  the  activities  will  require  special  mention. 

Reading  is  by  far  the  most  popular  form  of  indoor  pleasure.  The  registration  on 
Sunday  afternoon  is  of  considerable  interest,  for  979,  or  63%,  of  the  boys  mention  it 

and  1216,  or  69%,  of  the  girls  do  so.  To  appreciate  its  importance 
Reading  and  in  the  children's  lives,  it  is  only  necessary  to  state  that  it  constitutes 
Home  7-o%  of  the  boys'  and  7.3%  of  the  girls'  total  outside  activities  of  the 

Pleasures  week.     No  other  single  play  activity  approximates  it  in  importance 

except  attendance  at  the  movies,  of  which  more  later.      Music,  play- 


78  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


ing  the  piano  and  singing,  is  an  important  part  of  Sunday's  program,  constituting 
4.4%  of  the  boys'  total  number  of  activities  and  8.4%  of  the  girls'.  On  Sunday 
evening,  for  instance,  329,  or  21%,  of  the  boys  mention  music,  and  690,  or  39%,  of 
the  girls.  Playing  cards  is  more  popular  with  the  boys  than  with  the  girls,  but  is  not 
a  very  important  activity,  constituting  as  it  does  only  .7%  of  the  week's  activities. 
Playing  games  in  the  house  is  mentioned  quite  frequently,  especially  by  the  younger 
children,  in  the  evening.  Dancing  is  mentioned  but  little  by  the  boys  and  absorbs 
only  .4%  of  the  total  week's  activities,  while  with  the  girls  it  is  1.2%.  Most  of  the 
dancing  is  done  by  the  girls  on  afternoons  of  the  school  days,  when  88,  or  5%,  of  the 
girls  mention  dancing. 

Indoor  sports,  basketball,  indoor  baseball,  handball,  bowling,  etc.,  play  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  boys'  activities,  especially,  constituting  6.3%  of  the  week's  activ- 

ties  of  the  boys  and  2.8%  of  the  week's  activities  of  the  girls. 
Indoor  Sports       The  largest  number  of  children  play  on  school  days,  when  they 

have  access  to  the  school  gymnasiums,  such  as  they  are;  273,  or 
18%,  of  the  boys  mention  it  and  137,  or  8%,  of  the  girls.  The  popularity  of  these 
sports  suggests  the  idea  of  permitting  the  use  of  all  school  gymnasiums  on  days 
other  than  schcol  days.  Bowling,  billiards,  and  pool  are  mentioned  by  a  dozen  high 
school  boys,  and  by  one  boy  in  the  7th  grade;  consequently,  from  these  figures  they 
cannot  be  said  to  play  a  very  important  part  in  the  activities  of  the  boys.  Attend- 
ance at  clubs  is  rather  popular  with  both  boys  and  girls  on  Saturdays. 

AMUSEMENTS 

By  the  term  amusements  is  meant  moving  picture  shows,  theaters,  including  vaude- 
ville and  drama,  lectures  ard  entertainments.     The  theory  is  that  these  are  dis- 
tinctly different  from  sports  and  games,  where  usually  some 
Meaning  of  Term       considerable  proportion  of  self-activity  is  present,  in  that  they 

involve  a  passive  reception  of  a  prepared  program  and  involve 
the  payment  of  an  admission  fee,  with  the  possible  exception  of  a  number  of  free 
lectures  and  entertainments. 

The  extreme  popularity  of  the  movies  is  evident  from  the  following  facts:     That 
471,  or  31%,  of  the  boys  attend  the  movies  on  school  days,  that  attendance  at  the 

movies  absorbs  10%  of  the  boys'  activities  and  7%  of  the  girls'  on  Sun- 
Movies       day  afternoon,  and  that  it  constitutes  6.5%  of  the  boys'  and  5.0%  of  the 

girls'  activities  of  the  whole  week.  One  surprising  aspect  of  the  situation 
is  that  attendance  at  movies  forms  such  a  large  proportion  of  the  children's  activi- 
ties on  school  days,  6.8%  for  the  boys  and  5.3%  for  the  girls. 

It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  very  few  girls  go  alone  to  the  movies  or  theater  at 
night;  for  example,  only  1%  of  the  girls  go  to  the  movies  alone  on  Sunday  night. 
About  50%  of  both  boys  and  girls  report  going  to  these  amusements  with  their 
families.  In  comparing  the  grades  with  the  high  school,  one  notes  that  although  a 
larger  proportion  of  grade  children  attend  than  high  school  pupils,  attendance   at 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  79 

movies  forms  about  the  same  proportion  of  their  total  number  of  activities,  which  is 
due  to  the  high  school  pupils  listing  a  smaller  number  and  range  of  activities.  A 
summing  up  of  the  significance  of  the  movies  in  children's  lives  will  follow  later  in 
the  discussion. 

Theater  attendance,  principally  vaudeville,  plays  a  considerable  part  in  activities  of 

the  school  children  on  Saturday  and  Sunday  as  reported.     It  constitutes  8%  of  the 

activities  of  the  boys  and  5^  of  the  girls'  activities  on  Sunday 
Theaters,  afternoon.     More  girls  attend  the  theater  on  Saturday   after- 

Lectures  and  noon  than  boys,  and  more  boys  attend  Sunday  afternoon  than 

Entertainments        girls.     There  is  very  little  attendance  of  the  theater  on  school 

days;  consequently,  it  forms  only  1-9%  of  the  boys'  and  .9%  of 
the  girls'  activities  for  the  week.  Lectures  and  entertainments  together  play  a 
much  less  important  part  in  the  children's  activities  than  either  movie  or  theater 
attendance.  Theater  attendance  constitutes  a  larger  part  cf  the  high  school  boys' 
total  activities  than  of  the  grade  boys.  More  high  school  girls  attend  lectures  than 
grade  girls. 

From  the  estimates  given  in  the  section  on  Motion  Pictures,  in  the  chapter  on  Com- 
mercial Recreation,  that  31,000  people  attend  the  movies  weekly,  20.9%  of  whom 

are  children  under  17  years  of  age,  we  may  conclude  that  with  an 
Amount  Spent     attendance  of  6,500  children  weekly,  probably  $400.00  a  week  is  a 

moderate  estimate  of  the  amount  spent.  Including  attendance  at 
vaudeville  and  theater  (10,000  total  weekly  vaudeville  attendance),  probably  no  less 
than  $600.00  a  week  are  spent  by  school  children.  Are  the  results  accruing  to  the 
children  whollv  commensurate  with  the  outlay  in  time,  money  and  vitality? 


PERSONAL  ACTIVITIES 

Bv  the   term   personal   activities  is   meant   those  which   are  not  distinctly  play, 

amusement  or  work,  which  are  engaged  in  voluntarily  and 
Meaning  of  Term       are   self-cultural.     Such   activities   include   practising   music, 

fancy  work,  shop  work,  experimenting,  letter  writing,  garden- 
ing, choir  practice  and  study. 

Whereas  personal  activities  occupy  ll-9%  of  the  boys'  and  19.3%  of  the  girls' 
activities  for  the  week,  the  major  itsm  is  that  of  home  study.     On  Sunday  evening, 

for  instance,  630,  or  40%,  of  the  boys,  and  792,  or  45%,  of  the 
Home  Study,  Etc.      girls  speak  of  studying  lessons,  and  on  school  evening  562,  or 

39%,  of  the  boys,  and  876,  or  52%,  of  the  girls  speak  of  home 
study.  Study  constitutes  7.7%  of  the  boys'  and  9.8%  of  the  girls'  activities  of  the 
week.  If  we  are  to  trust  the  children's  version  of  the  case,  certainly  this  shows  a 
commendable  seriousness  of  interest  in  their  school  work.     A  great  many  children 


8o  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

speak  of  writing  letters  on  Sunday.     For  instance,  on  Sunday  afternoon  238,  or 
15%,  of  the  boys,  and  469,  or  27%,  of  the  girls  speak  of  writing  letters. 

The  other  activities  mentioned  by  the  children  are  individually  inconsiderable 
in  amount,  for  very  few  children  speak  of  any  one  of  them. 

HOME  WORK 

Considerable  range  of  home  activities  is  mentioned.     The  boys  speak  of  tending 

the  furnace,  cleaning  walk,  hauling  ashes,  chores,  carrying  wood,  water 

Varieties      and  coal,  caring  for  animals,  washing  dishes,  etc.     The  girls,  of  course, 

of  Work        mention  all  the  various  kinds  of  household  activities — baking,  sewing, 

washing,  caring  for  children  and  for  pets,  running  errands,  etc. 
Home  activities  occupy  30-8%  of  the  boys'  and  31.3%  of  the  girls'  activities  of  the 
week,  being  largest  on  Saturday.     This  is  a  very  gratifying  condition  in  some  ways. 

Proportion  and       There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  performance  of  these  routine 
Value  of  duties  has  a  valuable  disciplinary  value  and  that  it  helps   out 

Activities  considerably  in  the  general  household   scheme,   relieving     the 

mother  especially  of  a  great  deal  of  drudgery.  And  yet,  how- 
ever valuable  the  performance  of  these  duties  may  be  to  the  parents  and  to  the 
children  themselves,  and  however  essential  it  may  be  to  continue  these  duties, 
certain  elements  are  involved  which  are  not  entirely  satisfactory.  The  difficulty 
is  that  odd  jobs,  hauling  ashes,  cleaning  basements,  washing  dishes,  etc.,  lack  certain 
elements  necessary  to  contribute  most  vitally  to  the  development  of  the  child.  No 
zest,  no  initiative,  no  qualities  of  leadership,  no  vital  all-absorbing  interest  are  in- 
volved in  these  activities,  and  unless  activities  that  do  involve  the  above  qualities 
are  engaged  in,  the  children's  physical  and  mental  growth  may  be  warped  and 
stunted  by  too  much  work.  The  problem  is  to  provide  opportunities  tor  and 
stimulate  interest  in  play  or  recreational  activities  that  will  be  constructive  and 
supplement  routine  activities  which  are  necessary  and  valuable  to  a  certain  extent. 

EARNING  ACTIVITIES 

The  boys  speak  of  janitor  work,  odd  jobs  for  others,  sweeping  stores,  waiting  on 
table,  clerking,  playing  at  dances.     One  boy  speaks  of  writing  articles 

Various  for  the  Sunday  paper,  and  a  few  of  operating  moving  picture  machines 

Activities  as  means  of  earning  money.  The  girls  speak  of  clerking,  sewing,  care 
of  other  people's  children  and  household  work  for  other  people.    These 

activities  absorb  only  3.6%  of  the  boys'  and  .3%  of  the  girls'  attention  for  the  week. 

Saturday  is  the  day  when  most  of  this  work  is  done. 

RELIGIOUS  ACTIVITIES 

Religious  activities  consist  of  attendance  at  church  and  Sunday-school  and  religious 
instruction.     These  constitute  1 .02%  of  the  boys'  and  1.4%  of  the  girls'  total  activi- 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  8i 

ties  for  the  week,  Sunday  receiving  the  heaviest  registration.  A  v< 
Nature  and  gratifying  proportion  of  children  attend  church  and  Sunday-school — 
Proportion  ~^i,  or  50'  , ,  of  the  boys,  and  989,  or  56%,  of  the  girls  attend  Sunday- 
school,  while  932,  or  59^  ,  of  the  boys,  and  1237.  or  70%,  of  the  girls 
attend  church.  A  smaller  proportion  of  high  school  than  grade  pupils  attend 
Sunday-school,  but  a  larger  proportion  of  high  school  pupils  attend  church.  But 
while  47'  (  of  the  public  graded  pupils  speak  of  attending  church,  95*  <  of  the  paro- 
chial pupils  mention  it.  The  parochial  boys  have  the  largest  registration,  307  out 
of  317,  or  97%,  of  them  speak  of  church  attendance.  A  few  of  the  children  speak  of 
religious  instruction  or  "reading  for  the  minister,"  most  of  which  is  done  on  Satur- 
days. 

The  use  of  Sunday  in  a  manner  that  is  edifying  and  at  the  same  time  enjoyable  is  a 
problem  that  confronts  adults  as  well  as  children  and  both  municipalities    and 

churches.  City  governments  have  in  a  great  many  cases  taken 
Opportunities  of  steps  to  solve  the  problems,  have  provided  concerts,  boating  and 
the  Churches  picnic  facilities  to  meet  the  need  for  Sunday  recreation.     With 

the  exception  of  religious  services  and  Sunday-school,  very  few 
of  the  churches  have  taken  steps  to  meet  the  need  for  profitable  use  of  Sundays.  A 
valuable  service  can  be  rendered  to  society  by  the  churches  if  they  can  work  out  a 
plan  for  providing  recreational  facilities  for  adults  and  children,  but  especially  for 
childien.  Such  a  procedure  would  strengthen  the  position  and  power  of  the 
churches  as  well  as  prove  of  great  benefit  to  the  children. 

ENVIRONMENTAL  INFLUENCES  ON  WORK  AND  PLAY 

To  bring  out  the  variation  in  activities  as  influenced  by  environment,  schools  were 
chosen  typical  of  crowded  sections  and  of  sparsely  settled  districts.     To  represent 

the  conditions  of  greatest  density,  two  public  graded  schools 
Representative  were  chosen  that  were  located  in  the  districts  having  greatest 
Schools  Chosen  density  of  population  and  children.  These  were  the  Washing- 
ton school  district,  population  density  of  26  per  acre  and  6.1 
children  per  acre,  and  theBrayton  school,  population  26  per  acre,  and  5.8  children 
per  acre.  Then  to  represent  districts  of  least  congestion,  two  public  graded  schools 
located  in  the  most  sparsely  settled  sections  were  chosen — the  Randall  school,  pop- 
ulation 3.06  per  acre  and  1.1  children  per  acre,  the  Hawthorne  school,  population 
2.96  per  acre  and  .99  of  a  child  per  acre. 

A  direct  percentage  comparison  shows  that  the  least  average  number  of  activities 
is  registered  by  the  Washington  pupil,  5.7  for  both  boys  and  girls,  the   general 

average  being  6.2  and  the  highest  being  in  the  Hawthorne  dis- 
Differences  of  trict,  6.6  boys,  7.3  girls.  In  the  sparsely  settled  districts  the 
Activities  pupils  apparently  do  more  work  at  home,  and  for  others,   play 

more  out  of  doors,  and  more  of  the  children   play  or    practise 

7-R.  s. 


82  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

music.  In  the  congested  districts  more  pupils  play  indoors  and  more  read  at  home. 
Undoubtedly  the  children  in  the  outlying  districts  have  ample  opportunities  for 
outdoor  play,  and  their  recording  of  their  activities  is  supporting  testimony  to  their 
possession  of  this  advantage.  Larger  numbers  of  pupils  living  in  the  heart  of  town 
go  to  church  on  Sunday. 

RESEMBLANCE  OF  EIGHTH  GRADE  AND  FIRST  YEAR  HIGH  SCHOOL 

A  comparison  between  the  different  grades  shows  that  the  average  number  of 
accivities  drops  from  7  per  pupil  in  the  4th  grade  to  4.9  per  pupil  in  the  8th  grade. 

In  the  cases  of  both  boys  and  girls,  there  is  a  decided  decrease  in  all 
Comparison  activities,  with  a  few  exceptions.  "Read  at  home"  and  "Write 
Different  letters"  are  the  same;  "Go  to  church"  and  "Play  music"  increase; 

Grades  and  "Study  lessons"  decreases  with  the  girls,  while  the  boys  "Go  to 

church,"  "Read  at  home,"  "Play  music"  are  the  same,  and  "Study 
lessons"  decrease  from  50%  to  20%,  a  very  decided  diminution.  There  is  a  de- 
crease of  play  activities  from  34%  of  all  activities  to  28%  with  the  boys  and  from 
29%  to  19%  with  the  girls. 

Most  astonishing,  however,  is  the  resemblance  between  the  activities  of  the  8th 
grade  pupils  and  those  of  the  first  year  in  the  high  school.     One  would  naturally 

expect  a  gradual  change  from  the  4th  to  the  8th  grades,  but 
Eighth  Grade  there  is  a  sharp  break  between  the  7th  and  8th  grades.     For 

and  First  Year  example,  in  the  7th  grade  the  average  number  of  activities  is  6. 1 , 
High  School  while  in  the  8th  it  is  4.9,  a  drop  of  1.2.     But  in  the  first  year  of 

high  school  the  average  is  4.7,  the  difference  between  8th  grade 
and  first  year  high  school  being  only  .2.  With  a  few  exceptions,  the  activities  are 
strikingly  similar  between  8th  grade  and  first  year  high  school.  In  "Study"  there 
is  an  increase  from  25%  in  8th  grade  to  38%  in  high  school,  due,  of  course,  to  the 
difference  in  the  curriculum.  This  remarkable  resemblance  of  activities  raises  the 
question  as  to  whether  the  break  between  grade  and  high  school  should  be  where 
it  is  at  present  or  whether  it  should  not  come  rather  in  the  7th  or  8th  grades. 

However,  the  fact  that  the  8th  grade  pupils  are  inclined  to  ape  the  activities  of 
the  high  school  pupils,  as  they  look  forward  to  attending  high  school  may  partly 
explain  this  break  in  the  activities  of  the  7th  and  8th  grade  pupils. 

CONCLUSIONS 

A. — Favorable  Conditions  Found 

A  certain  number  of  conditions  that  are  very  satisfactory  are  brought  out  by  this 
survey  of  the  school  children's  play.      It  is  very  commendable  on  the  children's  part 

that  so  many  of  them  do  much  house  work,  which  seems  to  play  an 
Home  Work        important   part   in   the  general   scheme  of  the   family   activities. 

That  girls  should  gain  practical  knowledge  of  and  develop  ability 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  83 

in  household  work  and  management  is  absolutely  essential  for  them  as  future  home- 
makers  and  for  society  as  a  whole.  There  is  opportunity  for  encouragement  and 
systematizing  of  this  line  of  activity.  With  the  boys  the  work  they  do  at  home  is 
less  valuable  than  that  for  the  girls,  and  activities  that  will  play  the  same  part  in  the 
boys'  development  should  be  provided. 

Then,  too,  that  so  many  children  study  at  home  speaks  well  for  their  serious 
interest   in  school  work.     A  fairly  good   proportion  of  the  boys  are  engaged   in 

earning  activities.  A  large  number  of  children  attend  church  and 
General  Sunday-school.     A  thing  that  speaks  well  for  the  results  of  music  in 

Activities  schools  and  promises  well  for  the  development  of  the  pupils'  artistic 

sense  is  the  large  number  of  children  who  p. ay  and  practise  music, 
piano,  violin,  voice,  etc. 

Then  there  are  negative  conditions  which  are  very  satisfactory.  For  instance,  very 
few  girls  speak  of  going  unattended  to  movies  or  theaters  in  the  evening.  A  large 
number  of  the  children  go  to  amusements  with  their  parents. 
Lack  of  That  they  do  not  go  out  many  nights  during  the  week,  the  average 

Objectionable  number  of  nights  out  per  week  for  the  boys  being  2.4  and  for  the 
Activities  girls  1.8  nights,  is  commendable.     Very  few  of  the  boys  speak  of 

playing  pool,  billiards  and  bowling,  which  is  gratifying,  because 
while  there  is  nothing  intrinsically  pernicious  in  the  games  themselves,  the  environ- 
ment in  which  they  are  played  is  usually  vitiating,  physically  and  morally.  Then, 
too,  very  few  of  the  girls  speak  of  going  uptown  or  shopping  in  the  evening.  Most 
of  this  is  done  in  the  afternoons  of  school  days  and  Saturdays. 

A  very  fair  proportion  of  the  boys  speak  of  outdoor  sports  and 
Outdoor  Sports       games,  and  no  other  line  of  activity  could  be  more  beneficial  to 

the  children. 


B. — Conditions  Not  Favorabi  r 

The  questionnaire  to  the  school  children  brought  out  certain  conditions  which  are 
not  wholly  desirable.     However,  the  problems  raised  cannot  be  solved  offhand,  for 

they  are  extremely  complex,  involving  as  they  do  a  great 
Relation  of  Child  to  number  of  factors,  especially  the  family,  the  school,  the 
School  and  Church  church,  and  the  physical  environment.  School  children  all 
and  Home  have  intimate  relations  with  these  centers  of  influence;  they 

furnish  the  great  molding  influences  of  children's  lives.  1  he 
aims  and  mode  of  training  of  each  are  in  the  main  disciplinary  and  at  first  sight 
directly  opposed  to  play  and  recreational  activities.  At  any  rate,  their  restraining 
and  irksome  features  are  uppermost  in  the  children's  minds.  Essentially,  they 
are  the  great  social  agents  of  control  in  the  children's  lives.  With  adults  other 
factors  have  taken  their  place  and  influence  their  conduct  more  directly. 


84  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

To  make  suggestions  and  recommendations  as  to  radical  changes  of  policies  and 

adjustments  by  these  important  social  institutions  would 
Opportunities  of  of  course  be  presumptuos,  and  yet  certain  opportunities  for 

These  Institutions  strengthening  their  influence  and  increasing  their  effective- 

ness may  very  properly  be  pointed  out.  No  such  oppor- 
tunities for  increasing  their  power  and  grip  on  children's  imagination  and  conduct 
should  be  neglected  by  these  agents.  As  to  the  influence  of  the  physical  environ- 
ment, its  problems  are  specifically  and  pertinently  discussed  elsewhere  in  this  report. 

One  of  the  great  problems  raised  in  the  consideration  of  the  child's  welfare  and 

development  is  the  proper  balance  between  his  attention 
Balance  of  Mental  to  intellectual  activities  and  physical  activities.  Too  much 
and  Physical  stress   must   not   be  laid   on  one  or  the  other;   the   body 

Activities  should  not  be  developed  at  the  expense  of  the  mind,  and 

the   mind    should   not   be  developed   to   the   detriment   of 
the  body. 

From  the  results  of  this  questionnaire,  this  problem  can  be  stated  specifically.  Is 
there  a  proper  adjustment  between  bodily  activity  and  mental  activity  when  23.0% 

of  both  the  girls'  and  boys'  attention  to  outside  activities  of  a  week  is 
A  Specific  devoted  to  the  confining  activities  of  reading,  home  studying,  and 
Problem         attendance  at  movies  and  theaters,  and  when  22.7%  of  the  boys'  and 

only  12.7%  of  the  girls'  attention  is  devoted  to  active  sports  both 
indoors  and  outdoors?  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  attention  to  reading, 
studying  and  amusements  is  in  addition  to  the  regular  school  work.  Do  the  chil- 
dren devote  enough  attention  to  physical  activity  to  offset  the  inaction  and  stagna- 
tion of  the  school  room  and  these  other  inactive  pursuits,  and  not  only  enough  to 
offset  them  and  prevent  illness,  but  sufficient  to  build  up  robust  cinstitution,  which 
should  be  the  personal  capital  of  every  child  with  which  to  commence  the  business 
of  life? 

A  more  specific  aspect  of  the  same  question  comes  out.  Are  the  girls  receiving 
their  due  quota  of  physical  capital,  when  about  one-half  as  many 

Girls'  Outdoor        girls  as  boys     speak  of  active  pursuits?     Again,  is  it  not  a  dis- 

Activities  couraging    indication    that    only    one-third    as    many    children 

speak  of  outdoor  activities  in  the  4th  year  high  school  as  in 

the  4th  grade? 

The  difference  between  the  activities  of  girls  and  boys  cannot  be  wholly  accounted 

for  by  the  difference  in  their  interests.     Girls  have  been 

Their  Interest  in  bound   by   conventions   and   traditions,   but   given   proper 

These  Activities  encouragement    and    provided    with    adequate    facilities, 

they  probably  would  engage  in  active    pursuits    with    the 

same  keen  zest  that  characterizes  the  healthy  boy. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  s- 

I  he  decrease  in  the  number  of  high  school  pupils  engaging  in  active  games  and 
sports    points   out   a   very    serious   weakness   in   the  whole  social   scheme.     High 
school   pupils   are   adolescents   who   are   leaving   the  child  world  to 
The  Needs       step  into  the  adult  world.     Their  natures  are  a  mixture  of  the  out- 
of  the  grown  child  interests  and  the  dawning  interests  of  maturity.     The 

Adolescent  pleasures  and  games  of  childhood  fall  on  them;  the  activities  of 
maturity  have  not  been  learned.  Their  interests  are  much  more 
complex  than  those  of  the  child,,  a  more  critical  attitude  has  developed.  In  most 
cities  adequate  facilities  have  not  been  provided  and  skillful  planning  has  not  been 
done  to  engage  and  hold  the  interests  of  the  adolescent.  The  adolescent,  with  his 
great  potentialities  of  good  and  evil,  when  his  life's  habits  are  being  formed,  should 
receive  careful  attention  as  to  tire  disposal  of  his  leisure  time. 

A  very  serious  consideration  that  must  occur  to  the  observing  is  the  conserving  of 
the  children's  eyesight.     One  of  the  great  tragedies  of  old  age  is  the  failure  of  the 

eyesight.  Just  at  that  period  of  life  when  the  mind  has  reached 
Eyesight  and  its  maximum  development,  when  eyesight  is  the  greatest  asset  to  a 
Recreation  man's  activities,  the  eyesight  fails  a  very  large  proportion  of  people. 

The  terrific  strain  that  modern  civilization  puts  on  the  eyesight 
makes  its  possession  unimpaired  absolutely  essential.  No  one  can  doubt  the  folly 
of  allowing  children  to  obtain  too  much  of  their  recreation  in  reading  books,  and 
medical  opinion  is  unanimous  in  declaring  that  frequent  attendance  at  the  movies  is 
a  severe  strain  on  the  eyes.  One  may  safely  conclude  that  too  much  time  and 
energy  is  spent  on  activities  which  are  a  continual  strain  on  the  eyesight. 

Play  in  Streets  and  That  adequate  play  space  is  lacking  is  evident  from  the 
Lack  cf  Play  Space      number  of  children  who  speak  of  playing  in  the  streets. 

This  specific   problem   is  considered  very  fully  in  the  sec- 
tion on  the  Public  Schools. 

A  proof  of  the  fact  that  the  homes  do  not  afford  sufficient  opportunities  for  pla\ 
is  evident  from  the  number  of  children  playing  in  the  streets.     That  so  many  seek 

commercial  amusements,  especially  in  the  afternoons,  may  be 
Home  Facilities  partly  due  to  lack  of  home  attractions.    The  small  number  of 

for  Play  nights  that  the  children  go  out,  if  we  are  to  accept  their  tes- 

timony in  good  faith,  certainly  speaks  well  for  the  influence 
and  discipline  of  the  parents.  The  amount  of  home  study  spoken  of  may  be  suffi- 
cient to  occupy  a  large  proportion  of  the  children's  time  in  the  evenings  ot  school 
days.  Broadly  speaking,  the  conclusion  is  that  the  home  alone  does  not  provide 
ample  opportunities  to  satisfy  fully  the  more  or  less  sophisticated  and  complex 
interest  of  the  city  child. 

In  reading  through  these  questionnaires  filled  out  by  the  school  children,  one  is 
struck  bv  the  variety  of  activities  that  individual  children  mention.   Children  men- 


86  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

tion  six  to  a  dozen  various  play  activities;  no  general  scheme 
Haphazardness  of  interests  runs  through  the  week's  activities.  One  is  forced  to 
of  Activities  the  conclusion  that  the  activities  are  sporadic  and  haphazard, 

that  they  need  organization  and  direction.  With  proper  direc- 
tion, there  will  be  no  danger  of  crushing  out  initiative,  of  robbing  children  of  spon- 
taneity in  play.  Training  and  capital  do  not  rob  business  men  of  originality  or 
initiative;  why  should  direction  and  learning  of  new  games  rob  children  of  their 
originality  and  initiative?  It  is  just  as  important  to  learn  how  to  play  well  as  to 
work  well. 

OPPORTUNITIES    FOR    CO-OPERATION    OF    SCHOOL,    CHURCH,    AND 

FAMILY 

This  study  reveals  the  great  possibilities  of  establishing  more  vital  relationships 

between  the  child  and  the  three  great  socializing  agents  of 
Need  of  Vital  childhood — the  school,  the  church,  and  the  family.     Too  great  a 

Relationship  gulf  has  existed  between  the  methods  and  aims  of  the  home, 

which  are  more  or  less  restricted  and  haphazard,  and  those  of  the 
school  and  the  church,  which  are  explicit  and  formal.  Children  are  inclined  to  look 
upon  the  school  and  the  church  as  irksome,  restraining  influences,  to  which  they  are 
forced  to  submit. 

Both  the  school  and  the  church,  without  weakening  in  the  slightest  degree  their 

position  as  disciplinary  and  educative  forces,  could  afford 
School  and  Church  to  broaden  the  scope  of  their  activities  to  provide  greater 
Could  Broaden  recreational   facilities   for   the   children.      It   would    mark    a 

Their  Programs  great  step  in  the  development  of  the  influence  of  the  schcol 

and  church  if  the  child  would  arrive  at  the  point  where  he 
would  turn  instinctively  and  eagerly  to  them  as  the  means  of  satisfying  his  need  for 
play  and  recreation. 

The  school  is  much  to  be  commended  in  the  work  already 
The  School  as  a  accomplished  in  this  direction,  in  its  providing  gymnasiums  for 
Recreational  children,    in    its   welcoming    neighborhood    clubs    and    evening 

Center  gymnasium    and    dancing    classes.     It    is    during    the    winter 

especially  that  the  schoolhouse  can  be  utilized  to  great  advan- 
tage by  both  children  and  adults.  Further  development  in  this  direction  is  very 
desirable. 

Possibilities  of        Another  advance  that  is  not  radical  or  pioneering  would  be  the 
Vacation  School      establishment   of  vacation   schools,  where  outdoor  sports   and 

manual  activities  would  occupy  the  major  portion  of  the  pupils' 
activities.  Such  a  school  would  save  many  parents  a  three  months'  worry  and 
would  be  of  incalculable  benefit  to  the  children. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  87 

I  he  two  weeks'  religious  school  during  the  summer,  under 
Religious  Summer  the  direction  of  the  various  churches,  is  a  step  in  this 
School  direction.     Its   attention  to  music   and   recreation   is  very 

commendahle. 

But  the  greater  opportunities  that  exist  for  both  church  and  school  should  be 
realized  and  utilized.     For  example,  both  school  and  church  by  opening  their  doors 

on  week  days,  by  providing  ample  gymnasiums  and  playrooms, 
Greater  by  organizing  dramatic  work  and  story  hours  on  both  Sundays 

Opportunities  and  week  days,  by  getting  into  vital  contact  with  the  lives  and 

interests  of  the  children  throughout  the  whole  week  instead  of, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  church,  a  few  hours  a  week,  and  by  co-operation  in  a  construc- 
tive community  recreational  program,  would  gain  a  powerful  leverage  upon  the 
fate  of  the  future  generation. 


CHAPTER  IX 
SOCIAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL  CONDITION  AND  PLAY 

As  a  direct  relationship  has  been  found  to  exist  between  juvenile  delinquency 
(also  lesser  faults)  and  the  influences  of  environment  connected  with  the  use 
of  free  or  play  time,  the  statistics  on  juvenile  delinquency  in  Madison  were  com- 
piled and  Dr.  Gillin  asked  to  interpret  the  local  situation.  As  this  relationship  is 
not  peculiarly  local,  but  universal,  Dr.  Wm.  Healy  of  the  Psychopathic  Institute  of 
Chicago  was  asked  to  put  his  great  experience  and  that  of  other  experts  into  a  brief 
statement  that  would  show  the  larger  meaning  of  this  problem  for  Madison. 

COMMUNITY  CONDITIONS  INFLUENCING  CONDUCT 

By  Dr.  William  Healy,  Director* 
Psychopathic  Institute,  Juvenile  Court,  Chicago 

"Students  of  community  conditions  might  well  preface  their  work  by  remem- 
bering that  man  can  be  defined  as  being  the  most  complex  of  organisms  and  having 
the  greatest  capacity  for  being  influenced  by  environment  and  possessing  the 
strongest  powers  of  reacting  upon  surroundings.  In  the  study  of  life,  to  leave  out 
environment  would  be  to  omit  at  least  half  of  what  life  is  and  of  what  action  and 
conduct  are.  From  the  outer  world  comes  the  largest  share  of  the  stimulus  to 
action,  and  it  is  environment  that,  in  turn,  is  acted  upon. 

The  most  important  aspects  of  social  welfare  concern  conduct,  human  beha- 
vior. The  most  valuable  surveys  of  community  conditions  are  those  that  deal  with 
environment  from  the  standpoint  of  how  it  affects  behavior.  It  is  true  that  differ- 
ent individuals  react  differently  to  the  same  conditions;  that  is,  to  conditions  that 
outwardly  seem  the  same.  The  study  of  human  differences  is,  however,  a  science 
by  itself;  in  a  social  survey  we  consider  factors  in  the  environment  which  may  be 
recognized   as  definitely  influencing  considerable  numbers. 

Another  point  to  be  kept  before  us  is  that  when  we  are  searching  for  signifi- 
cant outer  influences,  the  quickest  way  to  recognize  them  is  by  considering  in  what 
way  they  may  be  affecting  mental  life.  It  is  only  through  human  individuals 
being  directly  or  indirectly  influenced  on  the  mental  side  that  there  arises  an> 
reaction  in  conduct.  I  have  had  reason  to  show  this  elsewhere  as  a  matter  of  prac- 
tical psychology,  but  here  it  may  be  insisted  that  the  connection  or  chain  of  causa- 
tion involves  the  most  common  sense  considerations.  Look  at  it  any  way  you 
please  and  you  will  find  that  human  action  results  from  mental  life,  while  it  is 
mental  life  that  is  so  peculiarly  influenced  by  surroundings. 

*For  details  see  my  text  book.     The  Individual  Delinqm  nt 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


And  the  influencing  of  the  mind  takes  place  vastly  more  at  certain  periods  of 
life  than  at  others.  We  by  no  means  take  enough  account  of  the  comparative 
plasticity  of  the  young  hrain  cells  and  mind.  We  have  every  proof  that  during  the 
age  of  childhood  and  adolescence  what  we  call  personal  characteristics  are  formed, 
that  it  is  then  that  the  deepest  impressions  are  made.  Practically  all  confirmed 
criminals,  for  instance,  begin  their  careers  in  childhood.  This  fact  in  general  is  so 
well  known  that  we  need  not  furthet  discuss  the  point  except  to  say  that  those  who 
look  behind  human  conduct  for  beginnings  and  forces,  that  those  who  discern  what 
goes  to  make  up  character  tendencies,,  must  turn  back  to  the  influences  and  sur- 
roundings of  youth.  If  the  other  standpoint  is  taken  and  environmental  conditions 
are  surveyed  as  such,  the  most  important  aspects  will  only  be  dealt  with  when,  there 
is  consideration  of  the  influences  in  any  community  which  surround  the  life  of 
children. 


H 


A  Crowded  Quarter 


In  going  straight  to  this  matter,  we  are  at  once  brought  in  contact  with  the 
home.  Here  most  hours  of  the  impressional  period  of  life  are  spent.  In  any 
attempt  to  weigh  the  conditions  of  home  life  which  make  for  weal  or  woe,  so  far  as 
conduct  is  concerned,  I  must  insist  again  that  the  shortest  and  most  direct  way  is  by 
estimating  the  possible  influences  upon  growing  mentality  and  character.  Poverty, 
wealth,  living  quarters,  backyard,  garden,  all  mean  nothing  for  us  except  as  they 
are  translatable  into  the  terms  of  mental  influences.  There  is  just  as  much  differ- 
ence in  the  possibilities  of  two  homes  on  the  same  street,  in  the  same  crowded 
quarter,  where  the  same  income  is  received,  as  there  is  between  two  homes  of 
wealth,  in  one  of  which  there  may  be  carousing  and  vice  and  in  the  other  serenity 
and  high  moral  standards. 

Housing  conditions  themselves,  crowding  and  lack  of  proper  hygiene,  are  best 
interpreted  for  our  present  subject  in  terms  of  the  possibility  of  decency  and  of 
upbringing  which  shall  give  respect  for  the  human  body  and  for  social  customs  that 
have  much  to  do  with  social  welfare.  I  have  long  insisted,  for  instance,  upon  the 
basis  of  much  experience  in   studying  the  beginnings  of  misconduct,  that  it  is 


9o  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

absurd  to  expect  modesty  and  self-respect  and  the  avoidance  of  unfortun?te 
awakening  of  sex  impulses  under  circumstances  which  constantly  make  for  the 
opposite  result. 

It  is  clear,  too,  that  the  home  which  does  not  or  cannot  give  to  the  child  suffi- 
cient healthy  mental  food  properly  to  satisfy  mental  life  must  be  regarded  as  a 
significant  social  failure.  It  may  be  due  to  carelessness,  viciousness,  ignorance,  or 
to  unfortunate  necessity,  as  where  a  widow  may  be  forced  to  leave  her  children 
while  she  seeks  their  sustenance,  but  in  any  case  the  immediate  effect  is  the  same. 
The  home  is  the  natural  place  where  the  child's  life  should  be  full  of  absorbing 
healthy  mental  interests  which  may  be  prophylactic  against  the  development  of 
vicious  tendencies. 

One  of  our  most  impressive  findings  in  studying  the  causation  of  delinquent 
careers  has  been  in  regard  to  the  remarkable  poverty  of  mental  interests  to  be 
demonstrated  among  those  who  are  showing  tendencies  towards  a  criminal  career.* 
The  occupations  and  the  thoughts  and  even  the  information  which  should  be  part 
and  parcel  of  every  young  person's  life  have  very  slightly  representation  in  most  of 
these  individuals.  In  other  words,  such  children  very  largely  are  empty-minded. 
If  I  were  going  to  emphasize  one  point,  then,  more  than  another  which  a  com- 
munity ought  to  take  up  in  order  to  prevent  the  growth  of  unfortunate  social 
tendencies,  I  should  pick  out  the  prevention  of  mental  vacuity.  The  empty  mind 
is  the  devil's  workshop  first,  last,  and  all  the  time. 

Those  who  propose  constructive  measures  for  betterment  of  conduct,  for  the 
prevention  of  the  development  of  evil  tendencies,  for  amelioration  of  conditions  as 
they  are,  should  rest  assured,  in  the  light  of  the  above  facts,  that  bricks  and  mortar, 
open  spaces,  and  mere  organizations,  do  not,  as  shown  by  practical  experience, 
necessarily  fulfill  the  desired  ends.  The  aim  to  keep  in  mind,  while  planning  the 
most  practical  aspects  of  social  welfare,  is  the  influencing  of  the  mental  life. 

It  is  not  my  place  here  to  go  into  specific  details,  but  there  are  many  of  them, 
negative  as  well  as  positive,  which  experience  shows  must  be  taken  into  account. 
I  would  earnestly  maintain  that  whatever  public  measures  are  undertaken  in  any 
community,  the  responsibility  of  the  home  should  never  be  minimized.  The  ideal 
as  well  as  the  most  practical,  and  also  the  safest  consideration  in  this 
whole  matter,  is  the  better  education  of  parents  concerning  the  possibilities 
of  their  own  healthy  companionship  with  their  children,  and  the  need  for  their  pro- 
viding such  influential  interests  as  we  have  suggested.  We  must  remember  that, 
after  all,  the  example  of  those  to  whom  the  young  look  for  example  will  still  remain 
a  preponderating  influence,  the  lives  of  the  parents  will  continue  to  affect  the  chil- 
dren, although  many  public  measures  be  undertaken. 

The  giving  a  place  for  children  to  collect  by  themselves,  whether  in  a  church 
club  or  in  a  playground,  without  the  provision  of  healthful  mental  occupations,  and 
particularly  without  supervision,  may  be  disastrous.  We  have  found  only  too 
often  that  under  such  circumstances  what  the  worst  in  a  group  knows  easily  spreads. 
Proper  oversight  is  always  needed  to  prevent  this. 

So  I  would  strongly  maintain  that  the  results  of  any  survey  of  community  con- 

*For  details  see  my  text  book.     The  Individual  Delinqut  nt. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  91 

ditions  should,  even  for  the  most  practical  ends,  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  their 
known  influences  upon  the  mental  life  of  the  people.  And  to  know  these  well  inter- 
pretative effort  must  be  centered,  in  town,  upon  the  influences  surrounding  youth." 

RESULTS  OF  NEGLECT  OF  PLAY 

V- 
•  B.— Illness  and  Sickness  of  School  Children 

Although  the  causes  contributing  to  illness  on  the  part  of  school  children  are 
various,  embracing  such  factors  as  hereditary  influences,  health  ideals,  economic 
position,  housing  and  exposure  to  contagion,  no  one  will  deny  that  the  amount  of 
outdoor  exercise  is  a  powerful  determinant.  In  the  same  manner  as  proper  exercise 
or  the  lack  of  it  will  make  or  break  a  man,  proper  exercise  will  by  the  foundation  of 
health  and  success  for  the  child,  the  future  citizen.  Only  a  whole  lifetime  of  denial 
and  effort  can  rebuild  a  constitution  impaired  in  youth,  whereas  the  robust  constitu- 
tion of  youth  will  endure  the  shock  and  grind  of  prodigious  labor  and  even  with- 
stand the  drain  of  dissipation  and  over-indulgence. 

In  the  same  manner  as  lack  of  play  facilities  breeds  intellectual  insanity  and 
moral  feebleness,  so  lack  of  fresh  air  and  play  facilities  debilitates  the  most  robust 
constitution.  Crowded  houses,  congested  districts,  the  pollution  of  the  air  by  many 
human  beings  packed  together,  a  pollution  that  is  not  confined  to  the  house  alone, 
but  to  whole  sections  of  a  city  (many  districts  in  Chicago  have  distinct  and  charac- 
teristic odors),  conditions  that  should  require  powerful  correctives,  are  combined 
with  an  absolute  dearth  of  opportunities  to  counteract  these  baneful  factors. 

An  analysis  of  the  records  kept  in  the  school  year  1913-1914  by  Superintendent 
Dudgeon,  of  the  absences  of  school  children  and  the  causes  of  their  absence,  reveals 
the  fact  that  congested  districts  have  a  black  story  to  tell  compared  to  that  of  the 
sparsely  settled  districts.  The  Randall  school  district,  with  an  enrollment  of  387 
children,  reports  only  14  cases  of  contagious  disease,  or  3-7rr  of  the  enrollment,  who 
were  absent  1 1 1  days,  or  .3  of  a  day  per  child  enrolled;  while  the  Washington  school 
district,  in  the  heart  of  town,  with  an  enrollment  of  423,  records  102  contagious 
cases,  or  24%  of  the  enrollment — more  than  six  times  the  proportion  in  the  Randall 
district;  the  Longfellow  school,  in  the  ninth  ward,  has  suffered  heavily  from  conta- 
gious diseases,  163,  or  39%  of  the  total  enrollment  of  410  pupils,  being  absent  1195 
days,  or  3  days  per  pupil — ten  times  as  much  as  the  Randall  district;  the  Hawthorne 
school  reports  152  cases  of  contagious  disease  out  of  an  enrollment  cf  614,  or  20%, 
absent  15 17  days,  or  2.5  days  per  pupil.  Of  course,  in  the  case  of  the  Hawthorne 
and  Longfellow  districts,  other  powerful  factors,  such  as  poor  housing,  and  low- 
health  ideals,  are  active,  but  it  is  in  precisely  such  an  environment  that  the  antidote 
of  vigorous  outdoor  play  is  imperatively  needed.  The  Washington  school  shows  a 
total  of  2,867  days  of  absence  from  school,  average  6.8  days  per  pupil;  the  Haw- 
thorne school  records  3831  days,  average  6.2  days;  the  Longfellow  school  2,767  days, 
average  6.8  days;  while  the  Randall  school  records  only  1244  days,  average  3.2  days, 
and  the  Marquette  school  11 70  days,  average  3.8  days  per  pupil. 


92  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

RESULTS  OF  THE  NEGLECT  OF  PLAY  AND  RECREATION 

C. — Mortality  of  the  City  of  Madison  for  Year  1914 

If  in  comparing  a  number  of  cities  of  the  same  size  in  various  parts  of  the  coun- 
try it  is  found  that  the  death  rate  of  a  small  number  of  cities  is  double  that  of  the 
others,  one  may  well  suspect  that  the  former  cities  are  unhealthful  and  contain  con- 
ditions detrimental  to  the  health  of  their  inhabitants.  Similarly,  if  certain  sectic  ns 
or  wards  of  a  city  show  a  high  death  rate,  we  may  suspect  that  these  sections  of  the 
city  are  harmful  to  the  health  of  its  inhabitants,  owing,  naturally,  to  a  number  of 
conditions,  to  poor  sanitation,  to  crowded  housing,  to  poverty,  to  exhausting  and 
dangerous  kinds  of  labor,  to  ignorance  of  the  laws  of  health,  to  lack  of  proper  exer- 
cise and  recreational  facilities.  But  while  lack  of  proper  exercise  and  recreation  is 
only  one  of  the  contributing  causes,  proper  exercise  and  recreation  can  act  as  a 
powerful  agent  to  counteract  the  actively  pernicious  conditions  and  can  build  up 
physical  and  intellectual  vigor. 

In  the  year  1914  the  record  of  the  Madison  Health  Officer  contains  a  list  of  387 
deaths  occurring  in  the  city,  46  of  the  people  being  from  out  of  town,  leaving  341 
deaths  of  Madison  people.  Taking  the  estimated  population  of  Madison  as  28,13  1  > 
the  death  rate  is  1 2. 1  per  thousand,  which  neglects  the  total  student  population. 
Including  the  student  population  would  cut  down  the  death  rate  to  8.0  per  thou- 
sand. The  great  ptegue  spot  is,  of  course,  the  ninth  w?rd,  the  Italian  district, 
where  there  were  65  deaths  out  of  a' total  population  of  2682,  2.4%  having  died,  or 
24  per  thousand.  The  ward  having  the  next  highest  death  rate  is  the  third,  which 
with  a  population  of  1590,  had  22  deaths,  1.4%,  or  13.8  per  thous.  nd.  The  death 
rate  of  the  ninth  ward  is  about  twice  that  of  any  other  ward.  The  lowest  death 
rates  are  found  in  the  first  ward,  5.8  per  thousand,  1  deaths  out  of  1732;  the  fourth 
ward,  7.1  per  thousand,  17  deaths  out  of  2407;  the  fifth  ward,  9.4  per  thousand,  36 
deaths  out  of  3818.  It  is  significant  to  note  that  any  ward  where  crowded  housing 
and  a  laboring  class  are  present  to  a  considerable  degree  show  a  higher  death  rate. 
The  death  rate  of  the  third  ward  is  13.8  per  thousand,  of  the  second  ward  12. 1,  of  the 
sixth  ward  12.1  per  thousand. 

The  greatest  number  of  deaths  was  that  of  people  above  50  years  of  age,  147; 
Si  of  persons  from  21  to  50  inclusive;  97  of  those  of  20  years  and  under;  and  16  still 
born.  The  large  number  of  still  born  and  prematurely  born  children — 54  in  all- 
points  to  an  alarming  condition  of  affairs.  The  infant  mortality  of  the  ninth  ward 
was  largest — n  out  of  2682 — and  that  of  the  sixth  ward  next — 19  out  of  5619. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  immediately  antecedent  causes,  no  one  can  doubt  that 
the  physical  stamina  of  the  mothers  had  been  undermined  by  overwork  and  lack  of 
proper  exercise. 

The  lessening  of  the  prevalence  of  disease  and  the  lengt!  ening  of  life  of  the 
people  living  in  crowded  quarters,  the  brightening  of  their  monotonous  lives,  is  a 
task  of  enormous  proportions,  and  part  of  the  work  will  be  accomplished  through 
providing  proper  recreational  facilities. 


MADISON   RICCREATIONAL  SURVEY 


JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY 

During  approximately  two  and  a  half  years,  from  October  i.  [912,  to  April  12, 
l91!)'  73  children  were  institutionalized  by  order  of  the  municipal  court  of  this  city. 
Of  these,  22  were  either  not  residents  of  Madison  or  were  of  families  having  come  to 
the  city  within  a  year.  The  remaining  5  1  were  products  of  Madison.  The  average 
is  more  than  20  children  per  annum.  Of  the  40  boys,  17  were  declared  "incorri- 
gible," 12  were  "dependent,"  1  was  "incompetent,"  4  were  committed  for  larceny, 
3  for  burglary,  1  for  indecent  liberties,  and  2  were  "neglected."  Of  the  3}  girls,  15 
were  declared  "incorrigible,"  12  were  "dependent,"  3  were  incompetent,"  i  was 
charged  with  larceny,  and  2  were  "neglected." 

Among  the  causes  attributed  to  these  cases  are  the  following:  Bad  home, 
lack  of  wholesome  interests,  bad  companions,  neglect.  In  every  case  the  effective 
evil  influence  comes  through  the  use  of  leisure  time. 

The  hereditary  tendencies  and  frequently  the  home  are  beyond  the  reach  of 
preventive  influences,  but  we  have  had  occasion  to  note  repeatedly  that  it  is  not  IN 
the  bad  home  that  the  leisure  time  is  spent.  It  is  because  of  neglect  and  lack  of 
proper  training  on  the  one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  because  of  lack  of  wholesome 
interests  and  no  lack  of  evil  influences  that  delinquents  are  produced.  It  is  those 
children  who  leave  their  homes  who  are  in  peril  and  who  in  some  cases  merely 
because  of  personal  attachments  or  keen  interests  in  life  are  misled.  One  of  the 
most  important  functions  of  this  study  is,  we  believe,  to  point  out  methods  of  lessen- 
ing the  bad  influences  and  methods  of  fostering  equally  tangible  manly  and  womanly 
good  influences  so  as  to  decrease  delinquency. 

There  are  many  other  delinquents  whose  names  do  not  appear  in  the  court  rec- 
ords. Some  of  these  perhaps  should  be  institutionalized,  but  most  of  them,  whose 
existence  we  cannot  deny,  are  not  criminals  or  dependent,  but  are  those  whose 
native  force  and  ability  has  been  decreased  by  means  of  unfortunate  contact  with 
life.  These  are  equally  important,  if  not  more  important,  than  the  others.  They> 
too,  belong  to  the  problem  of  delinquency. 


SHOWING  RESIDENCE  OF  TOTAL  JUVENILE  DELINQUENTS. 


Totals 

Wards. 

OUT   OF 

1st 

3 
1 

2d. 

3d. 

4th. 

6th. 

7th. 

9th. 

Town. 

Totals 

73 
40 
33 

5 
0 
5 

12 
9 
3 

2 
2 

0 

6 

1 
5 

1 
0 

1 

20 
13 

1 

2 

Boys 

14 

Girls   

8 

94 


MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


ENVIRONMENTAL  CONDITIONS  AND  RECREATION  IN  MADISON 

By  J.  L.  Gillin 

Conduct  is  the  result  of  the  interaction  of  personality  and  surrounding  condi- 
tions. The  conditions  which  surround  a  person  are  made  up  of  physical  environ- 
ment, meaning  by  that  term  the  climate,  topography,  fauna  and  flora,  but  especially 
in  this  connection  the  housing,  the  sanitary  condition  of  streets,  yards,  and  houses, 
and  the  social  environment,  including  institutions,  persons,  and  influences  flowing 
therefrom. 

The  facts  set  forth  in  the  preceding  pages,  facts  gathered  in  a  study  made  of 
juvenile  delinquency  in  the  city  of  Madison  from  September,  1912,  to  April,  1915, 


'•':•*; 


Conditions  That  Could  Be  Remedied  at  a  Small  Cost 

show  that  those  wards  which  have  the  least  opportunities  for  proper  recreation  fur- 
nish the  most  of  the  delinquents.  The  ninth  ward  stands  out  pre-eminent  in  this 
respect.  In  considering  this  fact,  one  must  not  forget  that  the  ninth  ward  contains 
a  large  proportion  of  the  foreign  population  of  Madison,  and  that  physically  a  part 
of  it  is  made  up  of  a  large  swamp  where  the  physical  environment  is  anything  but 
helpful.  A  careful  examination  of  the  maps  shows  that  the  physical  conditions 
affecting  conduct  in  Madison  consist  of  crowded  districts  without  vacant  lots,  for 
example,  along  State  street;  or  of  swamp  grounds  covered  with  dump  heaps  and 
stagnant  water  where  the  physical  conditions  are  not  unlifting;  or  parts  of  the  city 
where  there  is  no  crowding  of  the  houses  on  the  land,  but  where  play  facilities  for  the 
children  are  absolutely  lacking;  or  finally,  congestion  within  the  houses,  as  in  the 
Italian  quarter  of  the  ninth  ward. 

If  physical  conditions  can  affect  conduct,  the  frog  ponds  and  refuse  heaps  that 
are  to  be  found  in  the  space  south  of  the  tracks  in  the  ninth  ward  must  have  an  in- 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY 


95 


fluence.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  living  in  the  midst  of  such  conditions  cannot 
be  conducive  to  the  highest  civic  and  social  ideals.  How  can  we  expect  the  children 
growing  up  there  to  have  high  personal  or  civic  ideals,  when  their  only  playground 
is  either  the  swamp,  the  dump  heap,  or  the  street  ?  No  plot  of  green  grass  can  grow 
in  the  tiny  yards  remaining  uncovered  by  buildings;  few  flowers  can  bloom  where 
children's  feet  must  play;  no  moral  or  civic  loveliness  can  spring  up  where  the  city 
dumps  the  refuse  of  its  better  sections. 

Overcrowding  of  lots  is  one  of  the  most  outstanding  characteristics  of  those 
wards  of  Madison  having  an  unusually  large  number  of  juvenile  delinquents.  The 
lots  in  the  second  and  third  wards  are  very  greatly  overcrowded.     Moreover,  when 


p.  «$  C- 


This  Environment  Must  Be  Eliminated 

the  swampy  portions  and  the  dump  heaps  are  left  out  of  account  in  the  ninth  ward, 
there  is  overcrowding  of  the  lots,  as  many  as  three  houses,  a  store,  and  a  stable 
being  located  upon  a  single  lot,  leaving  no  space  for  garden,  lawn,  or  playground. 

Moreover,  the  congestion  in  the  houses  is  very  high,  as  many  as  five  families 
living  in  a  three-story  house.  The  congestion  of  the  houses  forces  the  children  into 
the  out-of-doors.  There  can  be  no  home  playgrounds  in  most  of  these  places  and 
thus  the  children  are  driven  into  the  street.  Furthermore,  even  were  there  spaces 
to  play,  there  is  no,  or  very  little,  direction.  For  example,  the  only  playground  in 
the  ninth  ward  is  at  the  Longfellow  school  and  that  is  very  inadequately  equipped 
and  entirely  unsupervised  aside  from  what  little  supervision  the  teachers  can  give 
during  school  hours.  Many  of  the  children,  furthermore,  live  too  far  from  the 
school.  These  sections  of  the  city,  however,  only  show  in  an  extreme  form  condi- 
tions that  prevail  in  almost  all  parts.  There  is  small  wonder,  then,  that  ()2C  [  of  the 
cases  of  delinquency  resulted  from  the  lack  of  proper  recreation  and  play  facilities. 


96  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

These  conditions  ot  the  physical  environment  simply  provide  the  setting  for  the 
problem.  The  child  seeking  a  place  to  play  finds  it  upon  the  street.  There  the  bad 
social  conditions  make  their  influence  felt  upon  him.  The  study  shows  that  65%  of 
the  cases  of  delinquency  had  bad  home  conditions  and  evil  surroundings,  and  57% 
the  congestion  of  the  houses,  the  lack  of  play  spaces  and  of  unsupervised  play,  either 
on  the  street  or  on  vacant  lots,  allows  the  evil  companions  which  are  always  to  be 
found  in  crowded  districts  to  exert  their  influences  upon  the  children.  What  but 
evil  can  be  expected  to  grow  from  a  community  where  there  is  no  attempt  to  provide 
good  companionship  for  the  children?  What  guidance  are  we  providing  for  them 
in  their  leisure  time?  None.  We  do  nothing  for  the  parents  to  teach  them  social 
ways.  We  expect  them  unguided  to  bring  up  their  children  decently  among  sur- 
roundings from  which  we  should 'flee  ourselves.  We  allow  them  as  many  houses  on 
the  lot  as  they  find  profitable.  We  treat  them  with  a  neglect  which  is  monumental 
in  its  stupidity.  We  provide  no  adequate  help  to  their  children  and  youth  in  the 
struggle  to  satisfy  the  normal  passion  for  recreation.  We  are  not  providing  these 
people  with  the  proper  social  surroundings  to  inspire  them  to  nobler  living.  The 
consequence  is  that  the  evil  social  influences  have  nothing  to  counteract  them. 
Only  the  saloon,  the  pool  hall,  the  unsupervised  play  on  the  dump  and  in  the  street 
are  open  to  them  in  summer.  Of  constructive  helpful  leadership,  there  is  very 
little.  In  the  crowded  parts  of  the  city  there  is  no  inspiring  constructive  leadership 
in  recreation. 

Again,  without  a  doubt,  bad  homes  and  bad  companions  result  from  the  lack  of 
directed  activity-  Bad  children  are  undirected  or  misdirected  children.  Children 
are  full  of  energy  and  must  have  direction  or  they  are  likely  to  go  in  the  wrong  way. 
The  only  recreational  facilities  that  are  directed  by  the  social  spirit  in  each  of  these 
communities  are  the  public  schools — in  the  ninth  ward  the  Lincoln  House  Associa- 
tion, which  conducts  activities  chiefly  on  Sundays,  and  some  effort  on  the  part  of 
individuals  enlisted  by  the  above  agencies.  Our  social  policy  is  one  of  Laissez- 
Fair '^-neglect.  As  well  might  we  hope  to  see  growing  in  those  sunless  and  airless 
rooms  fair  flowers  as  strong  children  with  healthy  social  sentiments  and  strong 
characters.  No  more  can  the  human  plant  than  the  rose  flourish  in  neglected  soil 
and  unfriendly  surroundings.  Light  and  air,  space,  grass,  fields,  decency,  sanitary 
conditions,  social  opportunity,  inspiring  social  personalities,  and  a  decent  chance 
at  proper  and  well  directed  recreation  must  be  supplied,  would  we  see  developed  in 
Madison  socially  beautiful  and  useful  boys  and  girls  and  noble  citizens. 


CHAPTER  X 
GENERAL  CONCLUSIONS 


A  study  of  the  various  sections  of  this  survey  shows  that  play  or  recreation  occu- 
pies a  great  place  in  the  life  of  the  city.  The  time, 
effort  and  money  put  into  it  is  enormous.  Practically 
every  social  organization,  as  well  as  the  individual  and 
home,  is  involved  in  it.  A  very  large  percentage  of  the 
business  section  of  the  city  and  many  outlying  business 

places  are  directly  or  indirectly,  wholly  or  partially,  devoted  to  it,  as  is  a  large  area 

of  the  whole  city  territory.     Its  influence  is  far  reaching. 


Important  Place  of  Play 
and  Recreation  in  Life 
of  Madison 


Summary 
of  Conditions 


The  conditions  for  play  and  recreation  found  are  as  favorable  in 
general  as  they  are  in  most  cities  the  size  of  Madison  and  in 
many  respects  more  wholesome  than  they  are  in  many  cities 
larger  and  smaller,  where  public  opinion  has  not  been  organized 
to  concerted  effort  to  guide  the  demand  or  control  the  supply.  The  results  on  the 
whole  are  wholesome,  though  it  must  be  admitted  that  "play-gone-wrong"  to  the 
limits  of  inefficiency,  vice  and  delinquency  is  to  be  found.  There  is  an  enormous 
waste  of  energy  in  dissipating  activities  which  would  evidently  be  expended  in  more 
pleasurable  and  constructive  activities  if  an  opportunity,  and  especially  the  leader- 
ship, were  afforded.  These  devitalizing  activities  counteract  at  least  some  of  the 
very  expensive  efforts  of  the  school  and  other  social  agencies.  They  accumulate  a 
further  expense  on  the  side  of  charities  and  correction.  This  expense  must  be 
borne  by  those  citizens  who  have  it  in  their  power  to  practically  eliminate  the 
destructive  activities. 


The  needs  of  Madison  from  the  standpoint  of  a  definite,  constructive 
Summary  program  may  be  summarized  under  the  headings  of  (i)  Facilities  for 
of  Needs     Play  and  Recreation,  (2)  Needs  of  Groups  of  People,  (3)  Agencies  in 

the  Organization  of  Play  and  Recreation. 

(1)  Facilities  for  Play  and  Recreation 

The  natural  facilities  of  Madison  for  recreation  are  unsurpassed  and  they 
should  be  used  more  extensively.  This  larger  use  will  require  action  by  city  agen- 
cies or  an  authorized  body  to  make  the  facilities  available  for  the  masses.  Large 
numbers  of  people  do  not  realize  the  value  of  these  facilities  nor  know  how  to  use 
them. 

8-R.  S. 


98  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

The  map  survey  shows  that  while  the  space  about  most  of  the  homes  is  wholesome, 
there  are  some  difficult  problems  to  be  faced  in  the  central  part  of  the 

Need  of  city  with  reference  to  space;  in  the  outlying  districts  the  problem  is 

Home  Play  simpler,  but  needs  immediate  attention.  It  is  a  large  item  in  wise 
city  planning.     The  longer  it  is  neglected,  the  more  complicated  and 

expensive  the  solution.     This  problem  is  important  enough  to  require  a  committee 

devoting  a  large  share  of  its  attention  to  it. 

The  most  conspicuous  points  concern  the  lack  of  facilities  in  Madison  of:  (i)  The 
lack  of  adequate  playgrounds  and  winter  gymnasium  for  children.     (2)  The  lack  of 

athletic  facilities,  courts,  and  aquatic  opportunities  for  the  young 
Most  men  and  women  of  the  city.      (3)  The  lack  of  available  meeting 

Conspicuous  places  or  organized  use  of  such  places  for  the  more  constructive  use 
Needs  of  leisure  time  of  young  and  mature  men  and  women,   such  as 

social,  literary,  debating,  musical,  political  club  activities,  etc. 
It  is  clear  that  these  facilities  can  be  supplied  only  by  action  on  the  part  of  the  city 
or  city  wide  agencies. 

(2)  Needs  by  Groups  of  People 

Because  of  the  profound  significance  of  various  classes  of  play  in  various  environ- 
ments, on  the  social  and  physical  development  of  the  child,  a  special  effort  has  been 

made  all  through  this  survey  to  get  the  facts  concerning  the  play 
Children       activities  of  children   and   play   facilities   and  the  efforts  of  agencies 

dealing  with  them. 

The  study  of  children's  activities  in  connection  with  the  map  survey  shows   that 

there  is  an  enormous  amount  of  play  forced  into  the  streets,  even  in 

Lack  of  well-to-do  sections  of  the  city,  and  in  other  cases  into  the  worst  of 

Playgrounds    environmental  conditions.     There  is  no  leadership  or  supervision  of 

this  play  and   there  are  no  public  playgrounds  except  Burr  Jones 

Field  and  two  park  playgrounds  and  inadequate,  unsupervised  school 

playgrounds,  where  there  is  no  attractive  organization  or  play  to  draw  the  children 

from  the  streets  to  more  wholesome  activities  and  influences  on  the  playgrounds. 

This  is  physically  dangerous  and  a  menace  to  morals. 

The  study  of  commercial  recreation  shows  that  the  large  number 
Commercial  of  children  are  involved  in  passive  amusements  indoors  during  the 
Agencies  for  few  hours  free  for  outdoor,  health-giving  activities  or  when  they 
Children  should   be  in   bed.      This  is  bad   from  the  standpoint  of  health, 

the  educational  efforts  of  the  school,  and  general  social  habits  or 

ideals. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  99 

The  study  of  environmental  influences  and  a  neglect  of  play  show 
Environmental  that  some  of  this  street  and  unsupervised  play  results  disastrously. 
Influences  even  in  delinquency,  and  supports  the  claim  of  many  observers 

that  most  of  the  bad  habits  of  children  develop  in  play  under 

bad   influences. 

If  the  play  of  children  is  to  be  wholesome  and  generally  developmental 
Needs  of  rather  than  inactive  or  detrimental,  they  must  have  wholesome  places 
Children       to  play  in,  equipment,  companionship,  and  at  least  a  part  of  the  time 

organized  play  and  leadership.  In  so  far  as  the  home  cannot  supply 
these  demands  most  of  the  time — and  the  larger  number  of  homes  cannot — public 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  rising  generation  demands  that  the  play  be  centered  in 
a  community  playground  under  proper  supervision.  The  supreme  need  of  children 
of  Madison  is  playgrounds  under  trained  directors. 

The  recreational  needs  of  the  young  men  and  women  of  the  city  requiring  public 
attention  are  of  three  classes,  all  of  which  require  places,  organization  and  leader- 
ship.     (1)   They  need   athletic   and   aquatic  activities,   athletic  organization    and 

leadership.  These  activities  are  wholesome  and  increase  efficiency 
Young  Men  rather  than  decrease  it.  (2)  The  young  men  and  women  need 
and  Women    facilities  and  organization  for  more  wholesome  social  activities,  such 

as  dances.  They  need  to  be  under  the  auspices  of  the  best  influences 
rather  than  the  questionable,  and  it  is  just  as  easy  to  have  the  best  as  the  question- 
able. (3)  Young  men  and  women  need  opportunities  for,  and  direction  in,  the  more 
constructive  use  of  their  leisure  time.  They  need  places  for  their  club  meetings 
that  have  a  distinct  educational  value  as  well  as  organization  and  general  leader- 
ship. Individual  use  of  museums  and  libraries  also  needs  organization.  1  he 
facilities  for  these  activities  are  meager  and  an  effective  organization  and  leadership 
is  totally  lacking. 

The  needs  of  adults  in  the  way  of  activities  and  facilities  are  so  complicated  that  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  summarize  them.  From  the  standpoint  of  public  effort,  the 
main  points  are  provisions  for  the  essentials  in  the  way  of  facilities,  organization, 

promotion  and  direction  that  cannot  be  supplied  by  individuals  or  small- 
Adults      group   initiative  or  enterprise.     This   requires   a   public  body  that    can 

study  and  deal  with  these  needs.     There  is  still  a  great  body  of  adult 
individuals,   largely  of  the   untrained,  laboring  classes,  without   recreational   re- 
sources and  unprovided  for  by  any  recreational  agency  except,  perhaps,  the  saloon. 
These  men  are  recreational  outcasts;  they  seriously  need  a  place  where  they  can  find 
clean  opportunities  for  their  toilet  and  bath  and  wisely  organized  recreation.     The 
provision  of  organization  is  the  way  to  a  simple,  constructive  use  of  leisure  time  In 
at  least  some  of  the  younger  of  these  men;  here  is  a  demand  for  a  new  type  of  men's 
club,  or  a  new  type  of  organization  of  men  who  have  no  recreational  resources.     It 
is  a  need  practically  untouched  by  social  agencies,  yet  one  that  must  be  faced  frankly 
if  these  men  are  to  gain  or  maintain  any  semblance  of  self-respect  and  not  be  a 
menace  to  democratic  institutions. 


ioo  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 

(3)  Agencies 

The  genera]  conclusions  concerning  agencies  providing  recreation  may  be 
formulated  under  commercial  recreation,  private  and  social  organizations,  the 
public  schools,  the  city,  and,  finally,  a  committee  to  undertake  a  constructive 
recreational  program  in  Madison. 

Commercial  enterprise  supplies  the  usual  recreational  facilities  in  Madison.  This 
.supply  is  as  wholesome  as  could  be  expected  with  no  organized  public  control  or 
organized  public  leadership  of  the  public  demand.     Providing  recreation  for  profit 

is  a  legitimate  business.  So  long  as  it  does  not  undermine  the 
Commercial  physical  health,  the  moral  and  social  standards  of  citizens,  espe- 
Agencies  cially  children,   no   public   action   can   be  taken  against   it.     The 

wholesomeness  of  commercial  recreation  depends  in  part  on  the 
nature  of  the  business,  in  part  on  the  character  of  the  man  owning  the  business,  in 
part  on  public  demand,  and  in  part  on  organized  public  control.  To  meet  these 
various  influences  suggestions  and  recommendations  are  made  in  the  body  of  the 
report,  yet  it  must  be  noted  that  there  is  no  authorized  body  in  Madison  at  present 
to  consider  these  suggestions  and  recommendations  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
whole  commercial  life  of  the  city.  While,  on  the  one  hand,  commercial  recreation 
supplies  facilities  that  would  not  be  supplied  by  other  agencies  under  the  present 
condition  of  public  opinion,  for  example,  the  theater,  on  the  other  hand,  it  would  be 
the  most  shortsighted  public  policy  to  leave  any  great  portion  of  the  recreation  of 
the  people  to  these  agencies.  In  the  first  place,  they  supply  what  pays,  which  does 
not  cover  all  that  the  people  need,  and  in  the  second  place,  the  bias  is  always,  and, 
naturally,  on  the  side  of  standards  that  pay.  Public  welfare  demands  a  larger 
viewpoint  than  this  and  an  agency  that  considers  recreation  from  the  standpoint 
of  the  interests  of  the  city. 

Private  organizations  use  their  own  quarters  and  private  associations,  promoting 
special  types  of  activities,  are  very  important  agencies,  but  they  supply  only  those 
individuals  able  to  support  privately  owned  equipment.  A  long  list  of  associations 
or  clubs  exists  which  cannot  afford  to  support  private  quarters  or  equipment  that, 

jointly,  under  public  guidance,  could  and  would  support  splendid 
Private,  quarters  and  equipment.     Without  a  public  agency  that  estab- 

Philanthropic,  lishes  places  and  gives  organizing  leadership  this  force  for  public 

and  Social  good  goes  to  waste.     The  church,  while  it  is  responsible  directly 

Agencies  or  indirectly  for  a  large,  miscellaneous    amount  of  recreation, 

has,  in  spite  of  the  great  moral  influence  of  play  and  recreation, 
developed  no  general  recreational  program.  The  problem  for  the  church  is  largely 
one  of  finances  and  the  overlapping  of  recreational  interests  with  other  agencies.  If 
there  were  a  public  agency,  however,  the  church  could  be  a  powerful  force  in  the 
organization  of  the  recreation  of  its  own  constituency  as  well  as  in  the  direction  of 
the  play  and  recreation  of  the  city.  The  problem  is  one  of  public  facilities,  co- 
operation, and  a  moral  force  and  leadership. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  101 

The  school  is  the  institution  especially  concerned  with  the  education  of  children 
and  more  and  more  with  the  public  welfare  of  children.  As  indicated  all  through 
this  report,  the  play  of  children  is  a  powerful  social  and,  in  a  broad  sense,  educational 
influence.     It  is,  therefore,  clearly  economy  and  good  public  policy  to  make  the 

school  the  public  play  center  for  the  children  of  a  community  in  so  far 
Schools        as  the  children  do  not  have  the  space,  equipment,  companionship,  or 

leadership  at  home.  There  seems  to  be  no  escape  from  the  logic  of 
making  the  school  the  agency  concerned  with  the  public  life  of  the  child  as  well  as 
its  public  formal  education.  The  function  of  the  school  as  a  play  center  should  be 
extended  further  to  all  children  in  the  district  not  enrolled  in  the  school  in  order  that 
they  may  be  brought  under  the  influence  of  the  school. 

Although  there  are  several  volunteer  or  private  institutions  concerned  with  some 
special  phase  of  recreational  activities,  no  general  promoting  or  administrative 
organization  exists  in  Madison  covering  the  whole  problem  of  the  recreative  life  of 
the  city.  Such  an  organization,  as  indicated  by  the  whole  drift  of  this 
The  City  report  and  by  the  summary  of  needs  and  limitations  in  agencies  con- 
tained in  this  summary,  is  essential  if  a  constructive  program  of  play 
and  recreation  is  to  be  developed.  To  meet  this  need  private  and  volunteer  asso- 
ciations always  give  way  ultimately  to  the  city  government,  which  is  being  com- 
pelled everywhere  to  deal  with  recreation  as  with  education  in  a  vital  and  con- 
structive manner. 

Public  provision  for  recreation  and  its  general  organization  and  supervision  is  a 
settled  principle,  but  that  does  not  mean  a  detailed  financial  support  of  all  recrea- 
tion. A  detailed  financial  support  of  all  recreation  of  all  the  people  would  bankrupt 
any  city.  The  provision  of  facilities  or  making  available  facilities  that  may  be  used 
by  many  groups  of  people  is  an  essential  public  function,  but  what  is  most  urgently 
needed  and  most  practical  just  now  is  a  public  body  authorized  to  promote  and  give 
a  general  leadership  to  the  masses  of  the  people  not  organizing  and  supporting  their 
own  recreation.  Democracy  demands  self-respecting  independence  as  well  as 
public  places  and  public  leadership. 

Madison  as  a  municipality  is  now  supplying  and  supporting  directly  or  through 
the  Park  and  Pleasure  Drive  Association  and  the  Garden  Association  many  facilities 
and  some  activities.  The  time  has  come  for  the  creation  of  a  Park  Board  with 
larger  powers  and  a  Recreation  Committee  concerned  essentially  with  the  organi- 
zation of  play  and  recreation.  This  Play  and  Recreation  Committee,  when  organ- 
ized, will  need  to  co-operate  frequently  with  the  Park  Board  in  creating  facilities 
and  with  the  Board  of  Education  in  directing  activities,  especially  the  activities  of 
children. 


io2  MADISON  BOARD  OF  COMMERCE 


COMMITTEE 

In  order  that  this  survey  may  become  of  immediate  practical  value  and  serve 
as  a  basis  for  permanent  constructive  effort,  we  recommend  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  to  be  called  "The  Madison  Central  Play  and  Recreation  Committee"  to 
serve  until  such  time  as  the  city  government  is  authorized  by  statute  to  appoint  a 
permanent  committee  or  commission.  We  recommend  that  this  committee  shall 
be  organized  as  follows: 

1.  That  it  shall  be  appointed  under  the  initiation  and  control  of  the  Madison 
Board  of  Commerce,  but  with  the  co-operating  approval  of  the  City  Park,  School, 
Church  and  Charity  officials  to  the  end  of  securing  the  co-operation  of  all  agencies 
with  the  committee  and  establishing  the  tradition  of  fitness  for  service  in  the  recrea- 
tive life  of  the  city. 

2.  That  it  shall  be  composed  of  five  members  to  act  as  a  body  on  all  questions 
of  policy  and  procedure  and  to  act  individually  as  representatives  of  the  interests 
of  the  whole  city  in  the  promotion,  organization  and  administration  of  the  following 
groups  of  activities  and  facilities: 

(a)  Physical  Culture  and  Outing  Activities. 

Including  gymnastics,  athletics,  aquatics,  tramping,  etc.,  and  facilities  or 
organizations  for  such  activities;  the  regulation  of  commercial  sporting 
exhibits. 

(b)  Social  Center  Activities. 

Including  community  and  club  activities,  entertainments,  dances,  discus- 
sions, etc.,  and  places  and  organizations  for  such  activities;  the  regulation 
of  commercial  social  activities  and  loafing  places. 

(c)  Musical  Activities. 

Including  public  musical  entertainments,  musical  clubs,  etc.,  and  com- 
mercial entertainments. 

(d)  Dramatics,  Pageants  and  Special  Celebrations. 

Including  club  dramatics,  community  or  city  pageants,  celebrations  of 
holidays;  and  the  regulation  of  theaters,  movies,  etc. 

(e)  Individual  and  Domestic  (Home,  Family)  Recreation. 

Including  home  gardening,  handicrafts,  music,  reading,  fine  arts,  games, 
amusements,  social  events,  outings,  family  use  of  galleries,  museums, 
libraries,   etc. 


MADISON  RECREATIONAL  SURVEY  103 

3.     That  it  shall  have  the  following  functions: 

(a)  To  sit  perpetually  as  the  central  promoting,  co-ordinating,  legislative  and, 
when  necessary,  administrative  and  judicial  body  on  play  and  recreation  in 
Madison  with  the  object  of  securing  a  wholesome  play  program  and  con- 
structive use  of  leisure  time  for  the  city  as  a  whole  and  for  all  classes  of 
people  in  all  the  various  sections  of  the  city. 

(b)  To  act  as  a  co-ordinating  body  in  bringing  together  such  city  officials  and 
representatives  of  institutions,   organizations   and   business,   necessary  to 
solve  large  recreational  problems,  initiate  movements,  or  establish  policies 
of  wide  influence.      (For  example,  consider  problems  of  commercial  recrea- 
tion. 

(c)  To  promote  the  establishment  of  play  and  recreational  facilities  and  the 
organization  of  the  use  of  those  facilities  under  trained  leadership.  (For 
example,  city  gymnasiums  and  natatonum.) 

(d)  To  create  associations  and  foster  existing  associations  that  extend  the  influ- 
ence of  various  classes  of  recreational  activities  to  large  numbers  of  people. 
(For  example,  boys'  and  girls'  athletic  league;  business  men's  tramping 
clubs,  art  associations,  etc.) 

(e)  To  promote  an  organization  for  the  use  of  facilities  that  will  produce  among 
the  adults  a  democratic  self-initiation  and  self-support  in  their  recreation, 
independent  of  public  support.  (For  example,  club  or  association  use  of 
schoolhouses,  etc.) 

(f)  To  organize  or  promote  the  organization  of  groups  which  have  no  organiza- 
tion, adequate  facilities  or  wholesome  activities.  (For  example,  news  boys 
or  street  boys.) 

(g)  To  advertise  and  promote  the  use  of  the  wholesome  recreational  facilities  of 
the  city  and  its  environment  so  that  all  classes  may  know  its  recreational 
resources  and  be  able  to  use  them. 

(h)  To  act  as  a  "clearing  house"  to  aid  existing  agencies  in  their  recreational 
efforts  and  secure  co-operation  among  these  agencies  where   possible. 


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